Treatment of Psychological Distress in Parents of Premature Infants: PTSD in the NICU

The effects of preterm birth on parents go beyond the infant, with psychological consequences such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Treatment of Psychological Distress in Parents of Premature Infants addresses these issues, offering a comprehensive programmatic approach to psychological consultation in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The book outlines common interventions to reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD in NICU parents and highlights the implications of failing to address PTSD on parenting and child development.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 366 pages
\n Publication date: 06 December 2020
\n Publisher: American Psychiatric Association Publishing
\n

At the outset of pregnancy, most parents anticipate a roughly 40-week journey punctuated by the birth of a healthy baby. However, when a preterm birth disrupts these expectations, the consequences extend beyond the infant; there are genuine psychological repercussions for the parents themselves. Treatment of Psychological Distress in Parents of Premature Infants delves into these complex issues, shedding light on the high prevalence of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in parents following a premature birth. More than a dozen esteemed experts lend their expertise as they examine not only the medical and neurological consequences of premature birth on infants but also recent findings on the psychological effects of premature birth on parents, including the specific challenges that fathers encounter, which receive their dedicated chapter. Uniquely, this volume presents a comprehensive programmatic approach to psychological consultation in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The authors elucidate how to leverage common interventions, such as trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy, in innovative ways to alleviate symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD in NICU parents. A chapter dedicated to vulnerable child syndrome underscores the implications of failing to address PTSD symptoms on parenting and child development and offers a parent-focused intervention to reduce unhealthy patterns of overprotective parenting. The insights offered throughout the book, as well as in the complementary online treatment manual, will equip readers with the knowledge and skills to develop an entire program of psychological services, spanning from screening to intervention, within the NICU.

\n Weight: 602g\n
Dimension: 154 x 233 x 19 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781615373208\n \n