Tekgündüz, Kadir ŞerafettinApay, Serap EjderGürol, AyşeGüven, RamazanÖzdemir, Süreyya2026-03-262026-03-2620202149-374X10.14744/phd.2020.65668https://doi.org/10.14744/phd.2020.65668https://search.trdizin.gov.tr/en/yayin/detay/412072/emotional-closeness-in-neonatal-intensive-care-units-a-qualitative-studyhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14901/4019Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore perceptions and experiences of mothers with regard to the barriersand facilitators to emotional closeness and mothers’ feelings of emotional closeness when their newborn infants arecared for in neonatal intensive care units.Methods: This study applied a focus group methodology. The study group included a total of nine mothers who werestaying in the Mother Room of the neonatal intensive care unit and agreed to participate in the study. For collection ofdata, a semi-structured emotional closeness form was administered through face-to-face interviews conducted withthe participants in a suitable physical environment. A voice-recording device was used during the interviews.Results: In this study, the mothers described the main barrier preventing them from feeling emotionally close to theirnewborn as the inability to touch and be with their newborn in the units. They defined emotional closeness as the mutual recognition achieved between mother and child through physical closeness. The mothers further emphasized theimportance of being face-to-face and having eye contact with their child, and they believed that touching increasedmaternal feelings of emotional closeness, as it provided the reality that this was their baby. Breastfeeding was anotherfeature highlighted by the mothers as being an activity that made them feel emotionally close to their newborn infants.Conclusion: The findings from this study overall showed that when and how mothers feel emotionally close is grounded in the experiences and conditions that serve to either facilitate or debilitate emotional closeness.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessPediatriHemşirelikPsikolojiArticle