To identify factors that help explain associations between parent-staff interactions and: (1) parental depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress; and (2) parent-child bonding in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Our cross-sectional mixed methods survey investigated the ways in which parental-staff interactions relate to parental distress and parent-child bonding. Parents with babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (n = 165) completed validated measures and open-ended questions about their experiences with staff. Using a sequential explanatory approach, we examined: (1) whether and how parental self-efficacy and personal time mediated parent-staff interactions on distress and bonding; and (2) parental written accounts of experiences with staff.

Multiple mediation analyses revealed that parent-staff interactions exhibited an: (1) indirect effect on parental depression (b = −0.05, SE = 0.02, CI [−0.10, −0.01]), anxiety (b = −0.08, SE = 0.04, CI [−0.16, −0.02]), and parent-child bonding (b = −0.26, SE = 0.08, CI [−0.43, −0.11]) through parental self-efficacy; and (2) indirect effect on parental post-traumatic stress (b = −0.08, SE = 0.04, CI [−0.17, −0.00], completely standardized indirect effect = −0.06) through parental personal time. Thematic analyses revealed that emotional and instructional support from staff helped build parental self-efficacy. Trust with staff helped parents feel comfortable leaving the bedside and engage in basic needs (eg, eat, sleep).

Family-staff dynamics are the foundation for high quality family-centered care. Staff who empower parents to participate in care, engage in parenting tasks, and take care of themselves may reduce their distress and improve relationships among staff, parents, and babies.