title: Measuring maternal stress and perceived support in 25 Italian NICUs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the validity and reliability of the Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (PSS: NICU) and the Nurse Parental Support Tool (NPST) for use with Italian parents; to investigate to which extent demographic variables and/or situational factors affect NICU-related maternal stress.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mothers (N = 156) of very preterm (VPT) infants from 25 Italian NICUs completed a socio-demographic form, the PSS: NICU and the NPST at discharge. Psychometric properties of both tools were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High internal consistency and split-half reliability were found for both measures. The multi-dimensional structure of the PSS:NICU was confirmed. Alteration in parental role emerged as the greatest source of NICU-related stress. Length of stay in NICU and familiar socio-economic status explained partial variance in the PSS: NICU scores. NPST score mitigates the stress because of the infant's appearance and behaviour, but not that related to the parental role alteration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PSS: NICU and NPST demonstrated adequate psychometric properties in a large sample of Italian mothers. The need for a psychologically informed support to NICU mothers is suggested.
authors.affiliation: Centre for the study of social emotional development of the at risk infant, Scientific Institute "E. Medea", Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy. rosario.montirosso@bp.lnf.it
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Montirosso
authors.forename: Livio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Provenzi
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Calciolari
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Borgatti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D007558:Italy; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis*