Evaluating a family-centred intervention for infant sleep problems.
OBJECTIVE
This paper reports a study to describe changes in parents' distress after a family-centred intervention for sleep problems of infants.


BACKGROUND
Infant sleep problems are common and are related to depressive symptoms in mothers, but their impact on fathers has rarely been studied. Because childhood sleep problems and parental distress are associated, their interdependence should be recognized in research and in paediatric sleep practice.


METHODS
All children hospitalized for sleep problems in a hospital in Iceland in 1997-1998 and their parents were studied using a pre- and post-test quasi-experimental design. The sample consisted of 33 infants (6-23 months of age), 33 mothers and 30 fathers. Parents' distress was assessed before and after treatment with regard to: (1) fatigue and resulting symptom distress; (2) parenting stress; (3) state-anxiety; and (4) depressive symptoms. Infants were treated for a variety of sleep problems by a paediatric nurse. The parents were simultaneously treated for distress by either the paediatric nurse or a specialist, depending on the nature of their problems.


RESULTS
Mothers and fathers experienced a high degree of distress before the intervention, with no significant difference between them. Two months after the intervention both parents' distress had significantly improved. Parents' degree of distress was at a psychopathological level before the intervention but was reduced to population norms 2 months after the intervention. The paediatric nurse intervention was sufficient to reduce distress for 83% of parents.


CONCLUSIONS
Health care professionals who care for infants with sleep problems should pay attention to the distressed responses of parents and support their recovery. An intervention such as that described here could be used by nurses for this purpose.
Thome
Marga
M
Faculty of Nursing, University of Iceland, Eirberg, Eiiksgattta 34, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland. marga@hi.is
Skuladottir
Arna
A
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing / Q000628:therapy; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing / Q000628:therapy; D005196:Family Therapy; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007224:Infant Care; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011613:Psychotherapy; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000451:nursing*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires