Parental Distress and Affective Perception of Hospital Environment after a Pictorial Intervention in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Datos Bibliográficos

ID15464355
AutoresErica Neri (0000-0002-8965-5761, University of Bologna, autor de correspondencia), Federica Genova (0000-0002-0657-4983, University of Bologna), Marcello Stella (Ospedale “M. Bufalini” di Cesena), Alessandra Provera (0000-0003-0352-3459, University of Bologna), Augusto Biasini (Bank of Italy), Francesca Agostini (0000-0002-0847-1400, University of Bologna)
Año2022
Volumen19
Número15
Páginas8893-8893
Fecha de publicación2022-07-22
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601
EditorialMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3390/ijerph19158893
PMID35897263
OpenAlexW4286462500
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas1
Referencias citadas17

Pictorial humanization is a useful intervention for the improvement of hospitalized patients' affective states. Despite benefits in many hospital wards having been well documented, so far, no attention was paid to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the levels of distress and the affective perception of the environment experienced by parents of infants hospitalized in a NICU after the implementation of an intervention of pictorial humanization. A sample of 48 parents was recruited, 25 before the intervention was performed (Control Group), and 23 after its implementation (Pictorial Humanization Group). All parents completed the "Rapid Stress Assessment Scale" and "Scales of the Affective Quality Attributed to Place" questionnaires. Despite results showing no significant differences on parental distress, after implementation of pictorial intervention parents reported a perception of the NICU as significantly more pleasant, exciting, and arousing, and less distressing, unpleasant, gloomy, and sleepy. A higher level of distress and a perception of the environment as less relaxing was predicted for the Control Group condition. The present study suggests that the pictorial intervention represents a useful technique to create more welcoming hospital environments and to reduce the negative effects associated with infant hospitalization

Distress · Intensive care unit · Intervention (counseling · Neonatal intensive care unit · Perception · Psychiatry · Clinical Psychology · Family and Patient Care in Intensive Care Units · Infant Development and Preterm Care · Medicine · Nursing · Pediatric Pain Management Techniques · Psychology