Stress experienced by women after premature labor is conditioned by their personality

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of the study was to analyze a possible correlation between personality traits and the level of stress experienced by women after premature labor.

Material and methods: The analysis was carried out on the basis of a study conducted in 96 women after premature labor. The following tools were used: Personality Inventory NEO-FFI, Parental Stressor Scale: NICU (SSR:OITN), and personal data questionnaire. It was an exploratory study since the SSR:OITN method is only applied to find out the characteristic features of stress induced by prematurity, and, therefore, it cannot be applied to study the control sample (i.e. women who delivered at term).

Results: The obtained results revealed significant correlations between the level and structure of stress connected with premature labor and personality traits. The general level of stress and all its components (infant’s clinical characteristics and medical procedures, personal and interpersonal problems as well as parental competence) correlated positively with Neuroticism. Negative correlations between the general level of stress together with its parental competence factor and Extraversion and Openness to experience were found. Agreeableness correlated negatively with parental competence stress. No correlation between the level of stress and Conscientiousness was observed.

Conclusions: Our findings shed new light on how women after premature labor experience stress, and suggested an ef­fective medical-psychological-therapeutic support aiming at reducing the level of trauma. The SSR:OITN Scale is proposed as one of the basic methods used to diagnose difficulties experienced by the investigated women.