title: Infant colic and maternal mental health: nursing research and practice concerns.
abstract: This study compared the mental health of 12 mothers who had infants with colic to 12 mothers of infants without colic. Colic was defined as infant fussing/crying of at least 2 hours/day for at least 5 out of 7 days, infant cry high-pitched and pain-sounding, and maternal report of infant inconsolability. Mental health was operationalized as scores on the Profile of Mood States and the Symptom Checklist-90R. Mothers of infants with colic had multidimensional psychological distress; they reported more bodily dysfunction, fears, disordered thinking, depression, anxiety, fatigue, hostility, impulsive thoughts and actions; and they had stronger feelings of personal inadequacy or inferiority. Implications for nursing research and practice are discussed in the context of study findings.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Pinyerd
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003085:Colic / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000523:psychology*; D008603:Mental Health; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires