Date of Award
Spring 4-27-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Astrida Kaugars
Second Advisor
Amy Van Hecke
Third Advisor
Elizabeth Fischer
Fourth Advisor
Lindsay Holly
Abstract
Perinatal mental health conditions affect approximately one in five mothers and one in ten fathers in the United States, and caregivers of newborns admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are at an elevated risk for developing mental health conditions due to the significant stress associated with infant hospitalization. However, not all caregivers complete mental health screenings, raising concern that current protocols may be failing to reach a meaningful subset of this population. Social determinants of health (SDOH) are non-medical factors that influence health outcomes and are known risk factors for mental health conditions in perinatal populations. The present study examined whether the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) was associated with the likelihood of caregivers completing mental health screenings and with symptoms of depression and anxiety in caregivers of infants in the NICU. We hypothesized that SVI scores would be negatively associated with and a unique predictor of screening completion and positively associated with caregiver anxiety and depression symptoms. Independent samples t-tests, correlations, and hierarchal logistic and linear regressions were conducted to test study hypotheses. Results did not support the primary hypotheses; SVI scores were not a significant predictor of screening completion or symptom severity. However, SVI scores were significantly positively correlated with maternal depression and anxiety symptoms at the bivariate level, suggesting a relationship that was weakened when covariates were controlled. Maternal parity, maternal age, and length of NICU stay emerged as significant predictors of maternal mental health symptom severity. These findings highlight the need for more nuanced measures of social risk, inclusive research practices, and greater investment in psychosocial care infrastructure.