City Research Online

Abstract

Many parents face significant emotional and psychosocial challenges as they navigate their preterm infant’s admission in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Typically, mothers of preterm infants have been the focus of NICU research and as a result, little attention has been paid to understanding the challenges often faced by fathers. The limited insight into fathers’ experiences and needs during this stressful period is a public health concern as it can have a detrimental impact on fathers’ health and wellbeing, as well as implications for the wider family and the infant’s development. This qualitative study therefore aimed to explore how fathers made sense of having their extremely-to-very preterm infants admitted to the NICU. An interpretative phenomenological epistemology and a critical realist ontology underpinned this study, while an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach (IPA) was employed to capture the essence of how the seven fathers in this study made sense of their NICU experiences. Semi-structured interviews revealed five overarching themes: ‘the transition into fatherhood’, highlighting the multifaceted and varied shifts in their anticipated journeys; ‘an emotional rollercoaster’, detailing the intense and fluctuating emotions of fear and hope; ‘experiencing a power dynamic within NICU’, capturing the fathers’ sense of disempowerment within neonatal settings; ‘identity as a father’, delving into how the NICU shaped the fathers’ identities and the impact this had on their perceived roles and sense of self and ‘the emotional aftermath following NICU’, revealing the long-lasting emotional impact post-NICU discharge. The findings underscore the profound and lasting impact of NICU experiences on fathers, emphasising the necessity for tailored interventions to address and support the challenges faced by fathers, both during and after the NICU. The relevance of the study’s findings for Counselling Psychology and their implications for clinical practice and research are discussed. Suggestions for future research are also highlighted.

Publication Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman R Medicine > RJ Pediatrics R Medicine > RJ Pediatrics > RJ101 Child Health. Child health services R Medicine > RT Nursing
Departments:	School of Health & Medical Sciences > Psychology School of Health & Medical Sciences > School of Health & Medical Sciences Doctoral Theses Doctoral Theses

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