Mindfulness and Relaxation-Based Interventions to Reduce Parental Stress, Anxiety and/or Depressive Symptoms in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Systematic Review.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate whether mindfulness and/or relaxation-based interventions reduce stress, anxiety, and depression in parents with infants in the NICU.
Results Summary
The review found that mindfulness and relaxation interventions may effectively reduce anxiety symptoms in NICU parents, with moderate to large effect sizes, and show promise for depressive symptoms, but limited benefits for parental stress. Methodological weaknesses and heterogeneous factors hinder strong conclusions.
Population
Parents with infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Varies (heterogeneous intervention factors)
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
mindfulness and relaxation-based interventions | decrease | distress | the general postpartum population | - | are effective in reducing | #1 |
mindfulness and/or relaxation-based interventions | decrease | anxiety symptoms | NICU parents | moderate to large effect sizes | may be effective at reducing | #2 |
mindfulness and/or relaxation-based interventions | decrease | depressive symptoms | NICU parents | - | show promise in reducing | #3 |
mindfulness and/or relaxation-based interventions | decrease | parental stress | NICU parents | - | show limited potential benefits on | #4 |
Parents with infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) experience high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Mindfulness and relaxation-based interventions are effective in reducing distress in the general postpartum population. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate whether mindfulness and/or relaxation-based interventions reduce stress, anxiety, and depression in NICU parents. A total of five studies met the inclusion criteria and were assessed for quality using the Downs & Black Checklist. The most consistent results in this review suggest that mindfulness and/or relaxation-based interventions may be effective at reducing anxiety symptoms in NICU parents, with moderate to large effect sizes, and show promise in reducing depressive symptoms. The findings show limited potential benefits on parental stress. Methodological weaknesses, heterogeneous intervention factors (including format and length), and varying participant adherence hinder the ability to make strong conclusions. Directions for future research are discussed.