Relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder and emotional regulation strategies of mothers with neonates hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit

Abstract

Objective To investigate the occurrence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the relationship between PTSD and emotional regulation strategies of mothers with neonates hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods One hundred and twenty-seven postpartum women with neonate hospitalized in the NICU were selected from a general hospital. All the cases were investigated by PTSD check list-Civilian version (PCL-C) and emotion regulation questionnaire (ERQ). Results The incidence of PTSD of postpartum women with neonate in NICU was 13.4% (17/127). The expressive suppression scores in positive PTSD group were (17.76±2.46) points, which were significantly higher than (14.16±5.14) points in negative PTSD group (t=-4.659, P 0.05). Conclusions The admission of neonates to the NICU is a stressful event for mothers, which could cause PTSD symptoms. PTSD has a closer relationship with expressive suppression, rather than cognitive reappraisal. Therefore, health workers should instruct mothers with neonates in NICU to regulate emotions by appropriate coping strategies, decreasing the possibility of psychological problems, promoting the mental health of women in the perinatal period. Key words: Intensive care unit, neonatal; Mother; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Emotional regulation strategy