Journaling as an occupational therapy resource for mothers of babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Introduction: The birth of a newborn requiring hospitalization in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) generates feelings of uncertainty, insecurity, and helplessness in families, in addition to changes in their daily lives and routines. The occupational therapist provides support to the mother and family during the baby’s hospitalization and can use writing as an intervention resource, which has been recommended to support coping with the hospitalization of newborns. Objective: To investigate the use of diary writing as a resource in the occupational therapy support of mothers of babies hospitalized in the NICU. Method: A qualitative, descriptive study was conducted in a philanthropic hospital specializing in women’s and children’s care in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. Eleven mothers of newborns hospitalized in the NICU participated. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and subjected to thematic content analysis. Results: The following empirical categories were identified: “Mother’s motivations for diary writing”; “Mother’s use of a diary as a means of expressing feelings and reflections” and “The maternal daily life expressed in diaries.” Conclusion: Writing in a diary helped mothers cope with situations during their baby’s hospitalization, allowing them to record memories and process feelings, as well as reorganize their new daily routine.