Anxiety, Depression
Conditions
Keywords
NICU parents, Journaling
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of a journaling program on rates of anxiety and depression in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) parents.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALAnxiety and depression screening
At the time of consent, the participant parent will be randomized into either the control or intervention groups. The control group will complete the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaire at the start of the study. After two weeks or at the time of discharge, the control group will complete the HADS questionnaire again.
BEHAVIORALJournaling
Parents randomized into the intervention group be given verbal instructions to use a journal how/when they choose for the duration of the intervention period
Sponsors
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SCREENING
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Mother, father, and/or legal guardian of infant * \> 28 weeks gestation * At least 5 days anticipated admission in Vanderbilt NICU
Exclusion criteria
* \< 28 weeks gestation * Expected death or discharge within 5 days of admission * Primary medical team feels that participation would be disruptive or detrimental to infant's care
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in HADS anxiety score | Baseline to 2-4 weeks | The HADS is a fourteen item scale that generates: Seven of the items relate to anxiety and seven relate to depression. The range of scores for anxiety is 0 to 21. A score of 0 is no anxiety. A score of 1-7 indicates some anxiety. A score of greater than or equal to 8 is the cut-off for clinical anxiety. |
| Change in HADS depression score | Baseline to 2-4 weeks | The HADS is a fourteen item scale that generates: Seven of the items relate to depression and seven relate to anxiety. The range of scores for depression is 0 to 21. A score of 0 is no depression. A score of 1-7 indicates some depression. A score of greater than or equal to 8 is the cut-off for clinical depression. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed