Association of parental stress, depression, anxiety, and somatisation: Mediating role of coping behaviours among mothers of preterm infants in Ghana

Background Parenting a preterm infant is a stressful experience that can significantly impact maternal mental health. This cross-sectional study examined the association of parental stress with depression, anxiety, and somatisation in 120 Ghanaian mothers of preterm infants, as well as the mediating role of maternal coping behaviours. Results Mediation analyses using the Lavaan package in JASP software indicated that parental stress had significant direct associations with depression and anxiety in both models, but not with somatisation. The association between stress and somatisation emerged only when coping strategies were included. Adaptive coping played a limited mediating role, significant only for somatisation. In contrast, maladaptive coping significantly mediated the relationships between parental stress and all three mental health outcomes, indicating a stronger explanatory role in how stress translates into psychological symptoms. Conclusion Maladaptive coping appears to be a key mechanism linking parental stress to poor mental health among Ghanaian mothers of preterm infants. Interventions that reduce maladaptive coping and strengthen effective coping strategies may help mitigate depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms in this population.