Mental Health Challenges Among Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Healthcare Workers: A Study on Burnout, Anxiety, and Coping Strategies During High-Stress Care

Abstract

Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) operate at an exceptionally high emotional and clinical intensity, placing healthcare workers under continuous psychological strain. This study investigates the prevalence and patterns of burnout, anxiety, and coping strategies among NICU professionals, including nurses, neonatologists, respiratory therapists, and support staff. NICU settings require constant vigilance, rapid decision-making, and exposure to infant mortality, parental distress, and unpredictable emergencies. These chronic stressors create an environment where emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced professional accomplishment often emerge. Using a mixed-methods approach combining standardized mental-health scales and qualitative assessments, this study identifies the core psychological challenges faced by NICU personnel. Results highlight high rates of emotional fatigue, sleep disturbances, moral distress, and anticipatory anxiety, particularly among frontline nursing staff. Coping strategies vary widely, ranging from adaptive methods such as peer support, structured debriefings, and mindfulness practices to maladaptive forms including emotional suppression and overwork. The findings emphasize the urgent need for institutional interventions, such as workload optimization, mental-health training, support programs, and trauma-informed leadership. Strengthening coping mechanisms and reducing psychological burden is essential not only for the wellbeing of NICU workers but also for sustaining high-quality neonatal care in demanding clinical environments.