The Psychological Impact of Covid-19 on Mothers with Premature Infants

Background: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and lockdown have had a profound impact on the emotions, anxiety, and mental health of communities and premature infants as one of the most vulnerable groups in society whose health depends on the health of the mother. Aim: This study aimed to determine the psychological impact of COVID-19 on mothers with premature infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic from December 2020 to March 2021 through convenience sampling on 190 mothers whose preterm infants were admitted to the NICUs of the selected hospitals in Isfahan, Iran. Corona Disease Anxiety Scale, a Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and Maternal-Neonatal Demographic Characteristics were used for data collection. The obtained data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple regression. Results: The mean total score of COVID-19 anxiety (12.21±10.31) was reported at a mild level, and perceived social support (66.55±12.81) was at a high level. Based on the final results of the multiple regression model, COVID-19 anxiety, and the levels of mothers income and education were significant predictors of perceived social support. No significant relationship was observed between COVID-19 anxiety and perceived social support. Implications for Practice: The results showed that the levels of psychological factors and their relationship with other factors can be varied in the COVID-19 pandemic condition. Therefore, a decrease or an increase in the perceived social support did not affect the level of COVID-19 anxiety in mothers with premature infants.