Appraisal, coping, and social support as predictors of psychological distress and parenting efficacy in parents of premature infants

This study examined the relation among how parents appraised the premature birth of their infant, their coping strategies, social support, and psychological well-being and parental efficacy pre- and post discharge of their low-risk premature infant from the hospital. Twenty-five couples completed a survey immediately prior to the discharge of their infant and approximately 3 months later. The strongest relations were among appraisal and both psychological distress and parental efficacy, with post-discharge psychological distress and parental efficacy related most strongly to appraising the situation as challenging with potential for growth pre-discharge. The results suggest that identifying the way parents appraise the situation may be useful for identifying at-risk families and informing interventions to assist families experiencing difficulties.