Atchariya Wonginchan. Relationship between coping strategies and well-being of parents whose newborn infants were hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit . Master's Degree(Pediatric Nursing). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2003.
Relationship between coping strategies and well-being of parents whose newborn infants were hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit
Abstract:
The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine the relationship
between coping strategies and well-being of parents whose newborn infants were
hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The 80 subjects were
recruited by purposive sampling at Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen Hospital,
Udonthani Hospital, Maharat Nakhonratchasima Hospital, Buriram Hospital, Surin
Hospital, and Sapprasit Hospital from August 2002 to January 2003. A three part
questionnaire was used including a questionnaire for assessing characteristics of
parents, Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scale (F-COPES), and Family
Member Well-being (FMWB) Index .
From the results of this study it was found that the most frequently used
coping strategy was mobilizing family to acquire and accept help. The second was
seeking spiritual support. The third was reframing. The fourth was acquiring social
support. The least used coping strategy was passive appraisal. Considering the level
of parental well-being, it was rather low.
Furthermore, it was also found that there were negatively significant
correlations between total score of coping strategies (r=-.26, p< .05), acquiring
social support (r=-.22, p< .05), mobilizing family to acquire and accept help (ρ=-
.270, p< .05), and well-being.
These results indicated that parents whose well-being was low, would
frequently use acquiring social support, and mobilizing family to acquire and accept
help. Therefore, NICU nurses, health professionals who are the people closest to
parents should counsel and support parents to use diverse coping strategies,
especially acquiring social support, and mobilizing family to acquire and accept
help. This is because it will help parents to adjust to this stressful situation and
maintain their well-being.