Stress Level and Associated Factors Among Mothers with Babies Being Managed for Neonatal Jaundice at the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital and the Eastern Regional Hospital

Abstract

Background Neonatal jaundice is a common cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality in Ghana, often requiring hospitalization and intensive management. However, limited research has examined the stress levels and associated factors among mothers caring for jaundiced infants in this context. The current study, therefore, assessed maternal stress levels and factors associated with managing neonatal jaundice. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted at two major healthcare facilities in the Eastern Region of Ghana: Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital and Eastern Regional Hospital. The study included 103 mothers of neonates diagnosed with NNJ. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire, which included and adapted version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) to assess maternal stress levels. Demographic, clinical, and infant-related characteristics were also collected. Data analysis was performed using STATA version 17.0, with Linear Regression used to determine associations between variables. Results The mean age of mothers included in the study was 28.45 ± 5.95 years. The study revealed that 62.1% of mothers experienced high stress levels, 27.2% reported moderate stress, and 10.7% had low stress. Results from the linear regression model showed that married mothers experienced significantly lower stress levels compared to single mothers (β = -1.83, p = 0.032). Muslim mothers reported higher stress levels than Christian mothers (β = 3.12, p = 0.010), and mothers who earned above 2000 Ghana cedis had significantly lower stress levels than those earning less than 1000 cedis (β = -4.23, p = 0.008). Mothers with 1-2 children reported higher stress levels compared to first-time mothers (β = 2.21, p = 0.025). Clinical factors also played a role, with mothers who did not experience birth complications reporting significantly lower stress levels (β = -2.49, p = 0.018). Although social support did not show a statistically significant association with stress in the unadjusted model, a trend toward higher stress levels was observed among mothers who did not receive support (β = 2.21, p = 0.073). Conclusion The high prevalence of maternal stress and the role of sociodemographic, economic, and clinical factors among mothers managing NNJ emphasizes the importance of comprehensive psychosocial support systems in neonatal care. These findings highlight the importance of integrating maternal mental health services into newborn care programs to improve outcomes for both mothers and infants. Future interventions should focus on providing targeted support, enhancing health education, and strengthening social support systems to alleviate the burden on mothers during this challenging period.