Mental Health in the NICU

Many families with children admitted to the NICU experience some form of trauma or distress. In addition to psychological distress like depression and anxiety, parents report emotional distress manifested as feelings of guilt, shame, powerlessness, loss of control, grief, isolation, and disrupted sleep. In some cases, psychological distress can persist for as much as 5 years post-discharge. Unfortunately, in the U.S., mental health services are not a standard of care in many NICUs, limiting services to families experiencing psychological distress. Join psychologist Amanda Nili and parents Claire Ricketts and Tiffany Goodson for a discussion on navigating mental health in the NICU. You’ll walk away with practical strategies to integrate parental mental health support into NICU care, including screening, referral pathways, and interdisciplinary collaboration to improve family and infant outcomes.

This webinar will take place on Monday, June 22nd, at 3:00 p.m. Central Time (1:00 pm Pacific Time, 4:00 pm Eastern Time). Attendance at the live component is required to earn CE credit.

Learning Outcomes: 
Describe the prevalence, risk factors, and manifestations of psychological and emotional distress among NICU parents, including the impact of postpartum mental health conditions and social determinants of health.
Apply trauma-informed, family-centered communication strategies to recognize and address parental distress, including anxiety, depression, grief, and impaired bonding during NICU hospitalization.
Integrate evidence-based approaches and available resources to support parental mental health into NICU care, including screening, referral pathways, and interdisciplinary collaboration to improve family and infant outcomes.

Presenter Information:

Rachael Zastrow, NNP-BC, APNP, CPNP-PC: no relevant financial relationships; Bethan Faulkner, DNP, CCNS, MN, RNC-NIC: no relevant financial relationships; Claire Ricketts: no relevant financial relationships; Tiffany Goodson: no relevant financial relationships; Amanda Nili: no relevant financial relationships.

CE Credit Information:

Participants can earn 1 CE credit for participating in the panel discussion and completing the evaluation.

The National Association of Neonatal Nurses is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

Access Information:

You will have 30 days from the initial recording date (June 22nd, 2026) to complete the post-webinar evaluation and earn 1 CE credit. 

DIGITAL PRODUCT

Release date: 6/22/2026

Expiration date: 7/22/2026

NANN thanks our ONE NANN Committee members for their dedication and work on this webinar series.

Rachael Zastrow, NNP-BC, APNP, CPNP-PC 

Heidi Thompson, RN, DNP, C-ELBW 

Julie Williams, DNP, CRNP, NNP-BC

Gabriel Hutson, MN, RN, C-ELBW, C-NNIC

Sherri Trammell-Johnson, RNC-NIC, MSN

Tosha Harris, DNP, NNP-BC

Bethan Faulkner, DNP, CCNS, MN, RNC-NIC