Project nurture: occupation-based support for parental well-being in the neonatal intensive care unit
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
Parents of premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are at high risk for experiencing perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. These conditions are the most common and underdiagnosed complications of pregnancy and childbirth, affecting half of the NICU parent population, resulting in negative long-term consequences for families. These include poor developmental outcomes, difficulties with attachment, childhood behavior challenges, and negative long-term mental health outcomes. Mothers of infants in the NICU are particularly susceptible to these conditions due to traumatic birth, occupational deprivation, inadequate support, and low self-efficacy. The Project Nurture project is a multidisciplinary, evidence-based program designed for the NICU setting. The program includes scheduled mental health screenings for all parents, structured group-based education and social support sessions, and occupation-based mindfulness, attachment-promoting, and cognitive-behavioral strategies to reduce parental distress and improve self-efficacy. Project Nurture proposes a 6-month pilot to evaluate its effectiveness in promoting psychological wellness among NICU parents. Occupational therapists in the NICU setting offer a distinct lens to support new mothers with medically fragile newborns experiencing acute and chronic distress. The Project Nurture program provides a straightforward framework for occupational therapists to improve infant outcomes and help prevent perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.
Description
2026
License
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International