Dynamics of Anxiety Symptoms in Mothers of Premature Infants: a Longitudinal Study

Relevance. Premature birth is currently a pressing interdisciplinary problem that requires a comprehensive approach involving specialists from various fields. It is worth emphasizing that scientific works focusing on the study of the emotional state, including anxiety symptoms in mothers of premature babies, are much less common. Investigating the dynamics of anxiety symptoms is both relevant and practically significant for identifying at-risk groups and providing timely, comprehensive medical and psychological support to this category of women. Purpose: to identify the dynamics of anxiety symptoms in mothers of premature infants. Methodology. The longitudinal study involved 83 women aged 19 to 41 years (M = 33.69; SD = 4.10). The following instruments were used: the author’s questionnaire, a questionnaire on the presence of unfavorable life circumstances, the Perinatal Anxiety Screening Scale adapted by M.A. Korgozha and A.O. Evmenenko. The analysis of empirical data included descriptive statistics methods, and the Wilcoxon T-test (W) was used to calculate the differences in indicators at the first and second stages of the study. Statistical processing of the study results was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics 26. Results and Discussion. The present study revealed that 12–14 weeks after the birth of a premature baby, the emotional state of mothers includes anxiety symptoms of various specifics. They demonstrate signs of generalized anxiety and perinatal anxiety, as well as pronounced difficulties with adaptation. Conclusion. The data obtained emphasize the importance of studying various aspects of the emotional state of women in the situation of the birth of a premature baby. The findings of the study substantiate the need to implement a comprehensive approach to providing medical and psychological assistance to mothers of premature babies.