Caracterización de la ansiedad en cuidadores primarios de recién nacidos internados en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos Neonatales del Hospital Nacional de Itauguá, Paraguay, 2026
Keywords:
anxiety, caregivers, newborn, neonatal intensive care unit, HADS, familyAbstract
Admission of a newborn to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a potentially stressful event for families. Prognostic uncertainty, physical separation, a highly technological environment, and disruption of the parental role may contribute to anxiety symptoms. This study aimed to characterize anxiety among primary caregivers of newborns admitted to the NICU of Hospital Nacional de Itauguá in 2026. An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted between March and April 2026. Sixty-four primary caregivers participated. Sociodemographic and neonatal characteristics were recorded, and the anxiety subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-A) was applied. Absolute and relative frequencies were used. For descriptive analysis according to neonatal severity, 57 paired records with complete clinical information were considered. Moderate anxiety was the most frequent category, affecting 30/64 (46.9%); mild anxiety was found in 11/64 (17.2%) and severe anxiety in 7/64 (10.9%). Overall, 48/64 (75.0%) had some degree of anxiety. Among newborns with complete clinical data, 42/57 (73.7%) were preterm, 33/57 (57.9%) were classified as very severe, and 30/57 (52.6%) remained in the NICU for 15 days or longer. In the very severe group, 17/33 (51.5%) of caregivers had moderate anxiety and 6/33 (18.2%) severe anxiety. Anxiety symptoms were highly frequent and were concentrated mainly at moderate levels. Subgroup analyses should be interpreted descriptively because denominators varied across some variables in the consolidated record.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Dra. Laura María de los Ángeles Peralta Romero, Dra. Mariela Domínguez Romero (Autor/a)
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