Prevalence of positive screens for depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms among parents of infants admitted to a NICU: a pilot study

Introduction Parents of infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) may experience substantial psychological distress. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of positive screens for depressive, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and to explore their associations with gender, education level, and parental age. The study also described the coping strategies reported by participants. Methods This cross-sectional pilot study assessed 82 parents of infants admitted to the NICU at Thumbay University Hospital, Ajman. Parents who were primary caregivers and provided consent were included. Data were collected from March to July 2025 using self-administered questionnaires; Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). They were then grouped based on whether they met the positive or negative screen criteria for the respective psychiatric symptoms. Results Out of the 82 parents who had participated, 22% screened positive for anxiety symptoms, 13.4% for depression symptoms, and 9.8% for PTSD symptoms. Female participants had a higher proportion of positive screen for depressive symptoms than male participants (20.5% vs. 4.8% in men, p = 0.043), and younger participants (≤30 years) had a higher proportion of positive screens for PTSD symptoms than those aged >30 years (17.5% vs. 2.4%; Fisher’s exact p = 0.027), although the small number of positive cases warrants cautious interpretation. No significant associations were found with education level. The most reported coping strategies were religious/spiritual (34.8%) and physical/behavioral (26.1%) methods. Conclusion A notable proportion of parents of infants admitted to the NICU in this UAE pilot cross-sectional study screened positive for symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD, with female participants and younger participants showing higher proportions of positive screening for depressive and PTSD symptoms, respectively. These findings support consideration of mental health screening, promotion of a socially supportive environment, and culturally appropriate psychosocial support for parents of NICU-admitted infants.