The Effect of a Peer-Group Support Intervention Program on the Tensions of Mothers with Premature Neonates Admitted to the Intensive Care Units in Babol, Iran

Hospitalization in NICU encounter mothers of premature neonates with stress, which affect their relationship with their neonates. This study aimed to investigate the impact of support of mothers to each other on the tension of mothers who have their premature infant hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit. In this before- after two-group quasi-experimental study, a group of mothers with recent experience of having a neonate hospitalized in NICU were planned to have sessions of support and teaching with a 40 mothers in the experiment group. The amount of tension of this group, before and after the intervention compared with a control group, using Parental Stress Scale: NICU. The average tension in the intervention and control groups before and after the intervention, and comparison of average tension between intervention and control groups were 125.2 (23.10), 135.2 (19.88), 33.35 (8.19), 49.40 (18.63) respectively. There were a significant difference between the mean score of tension before and after the intervention in each group. There was not found any significant difference between the scores of tension between two group before and after the intervention. Despite the positive effect of time on the amount of tension of mothers with hospitalized neonates in NICU, more studies on the effect of a peer group need to be conducted in Iran.