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Validation of the Arabic Version of the Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (PSS: NICU)

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Abstract

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is a highly stressful environment for parents. The Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (PSS: NICU) has been validated and used in several languages aside Arabic. This study aimed at translating the scale to Arabic (A-PSS: NICU) and validating it using a cohort of parents of infants admitted to the NICU. Between August 2015 and May 2017, the reliability and construct validity of the A-PSS: NICU were tested on 207 mothers and fathers in two tertiary care hospitals within Greater Beirut. Participants answered the A-PSS: NICU questionnaire, and were interviewed by a clinical psychologist who used the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A). An exploratory factor analysis revealed that the A-PSS: NICU is composed of four factors. The A-PSS: NICU overall reliability was excellent (Cronbach’s alpha .92). The A-PSS: NICU scores correlated positively and significantly with those of the HAM-A (r = .24, p < .0001). The A-PSS: NICU is a valid and reliable measure of parents’ stress in the NICU. Using this scale may prove to be beneficial to Arabic-speaking parents as it assists health professionals in identifying potential stressors that can be addressed during the infants’ stay within the NICU.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the parents who participated, the NICU staff of both hospitals, the clinicians, and the research assistants for their contribution to this study.

Funding

This study has been funded by the Faculty of Medicine of the American University of Beirut.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, American University of Beirut, Riad El-Solh, Beirut, Lebanon

    Saadieh Masri & Lama Charafeddine

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Clinical Research Institute, American University of Beirut, Riad El-Solh, Beirut, Lebanon

    Hani Tamim

  3. Department of Psychiatry, American University of Beirut, Mail Box: Riad El-Solh, Beirut, 1107 2020, Lebanon

    Mohamad Naamani & Leyla Akoury-Dirani

  4. Al Rassoul Al-Aazam Hospital, Old Airport Road, Beirut, Lebanon

    Taleb Jammal

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  1. Saadieh Masri
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  2. Lama Charafeddine
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Correspondence to Leyla Akoury-Dirani.

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Saadieh Masri, Lama Charafeddine, Hani Tamim, Mohamad Naamani, Taleb Jammal, and Leyla Akoury-Dirani declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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This research study is compliant with the Ethical standards of Human Rights as stated in the Declaration of Helsinky and has been approved by the Institutional Review Board of the American University of Beirut.

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Masri, S., Charafeddine, L., Tamim, H. et al. Validation of the Arabic Version of the Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (PSS: NICU). J Clin Psychol Med Settings 27, 593–602 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-019-09643-1

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