From Fear to Confidence: Emotional Intelligence, Social Support and Caring Efficacy among Mothers of Preterm Babies

Vijayalakshmi Sathish Kumar; Shankar Shanmugam Rajendran; Muthu Kumaran; Kannan Kasinathan; Kalaimani Thangamani; Sowmiya Bellora Benedict; Siva Ragavan

doi:10.71097/IJSAT.v17.i2.11061

From Fear to Confidence: Emotional Intelligence, Social Support and Caring Efficacy among Mothers of Preterm Babies

Author(s)	Ms. Vijayalakshmi Sathish Kumar, Prof. Dr. Shankar Shanmugam Rajendran, Prof. Dr. Muthu Kumaran, Mr. Kannan Kasinathan, Ms. Kalaimani Thangamani, Ms. Sowmiya Bellora Benedict, Ms. Siva Ragavan
Country	India
Abstract	Preterm birth changes motherhood abruptly, often placing the first days of bonding and learning inside a neonatal intensive care unit. This mixed-methods study assessed emotional intelligence and perceived social support among mothers of preterm babies and explored how they developed caring efficacy. An explanatory sequential design was used at the neonatal intensive care unit of the Institute of Child Health, Chennai. Quantitative data were collected from 60 mothers using a socio-demographic questionnaire, clinical profile, Emotional Intelligence Test and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Six mothers participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Pearson correlation coefficient, the chi-square test, and thematic analysis. The mean emotional intelligence score was 91.53 + 6.94 out of 125, representing 73.22% of the total score. Thirty-seven mothers (61.67%) had high emotional intelligence and 23 (38.33%) had very high emotional intelligence. The mean social support score was 64.42 + 5.43 out of 84, representing 76.69%; 36 mothers (60.00%) reported high support and 24 (40.00%) reported moderate support. Emotional intelligence and social support showed a significant positive fair correlation (r = 0.38, p = 0.01). Emotional intelligence was significantly associated with education, employment and residence, while social support was associated with education, birth order and previous preterm experience. Interviews revealed four themes: emotional turmoil after preterm birth, social support, caring efficacy and learning in daily caregiving tasks. Mothers moved from shock and fear to confidence when practical teaching and family support were available for safer discharge planning.
Keywords	Infant, Premature, Emotional Intelligence, Social Support, Self-efficacy, Intensive Care Units
Field	Medical / Pharmacy
Published In	Volume 17, Issue 2, April-June 2026
Published On	2026-05-21
DOI	https://doi.org/10.71097/IJSAT.v17.i2.11061

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From Fear to Confidence: Emotional Intelligence, Social Support and Caring Efficacy among Mothers of Preterm Babies

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