The effect of narrative writing on maternal stress in neonatal intensive care settings

Objective: This study was conducted to examine the effect of narrative writing on maternal stress in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) during infants' hospitalization. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted among 2 groups of mothers with preterm infants in the NICUs of two teaching hospitals of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Pre- and post-tests were administered to a sample size of 70 during 6 months. The Parental Stressor Scale (PSS) was used. The data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistical methods. Results: The mean stress level in the control group was 73.9 +/- 16.7 at the beginning of the study, and 82.5 +/- 19.5 at the end of the study (on the 10th day). Paired t-test results in the control group showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the 3rd and the 10th day of the hospitalization (p < 0.001). In the intervention group, the mean stress level at the beginning of the study and on the 10th day of the hospitalization was 78.9 +/- 16 and 48.8 +/- 14.1, respectively (p < 0.001). The results revealed statistically significant difference between the 2 groups on the 10th day of the study (p < 0.001). Conclusion: According to the findings, the narrative writing may be considered as an efficient supportive intervention to reduce the maternal stress in the NICUs. However, more research is needed to justify its implementation.