Parenting and Relational Well-being During the Transition to Parenthood: Challenges for First-time Parents

Reflective functioning (RF) is a construct that has gained tremendous traction in the developmental psychology literature, demonstrating robust associations with parent–child attachment and interactional quality. Although theorists argue that RF should have meaningful links with relationship quality across the life span, to date this construct has not been applied to the study of adult romantic partnerships. The goal of the present investigation is to introduce the construct of Partner RF, the capacity to reflect on the thoughts and feelings of one’s partner and to consider their roles in guiding behavior in one’s partner and oneself. Next, we explore the degree to which Partner RF is associated with a range of theoretically related constructs—one’s partner’s Partner RF, as well as one’s own parental RF, attachment, relationship satisfaction, and coparenting—in first-time parents. In a longitudinal study of N = 107 primiparous couples, we found positive associations between mothers’ and fathers’ Partner RF and between mother’s Partner RF and their parental RF. Partner RF is higher among women who report lower prenatal attachment avoidance and demonstrate more prenatal positive communication with their partners. Counterintuitively, higher levels of maternal Partner RF predict greater decreases in couple and coparenting satisfaction across the transition to parenthood. Partner RF may be an important construct to measure and understand in terms of its role in couple relationship functioning and parental well-being.

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Transition to parenthood programmes

10.1093/med/9780198788850.003.0007 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Jane Barlow

Keyword(s):

Transition To Parenthood ◽

Well Being ◽

Perinatal Period ◽

Developmental Period ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Life Chances ◽

Potential Impact ◽

Related Stress ◽

First Time

For first-time parents, the ‘transition to parenthood’ is a significant period, not only in terms of changes for the parents and the related stress that such changes may involve, but also in terms of the needs of the unborn/newborn baby. This reflects the fact that the perinatal period is now recognized to be a ‘sensitive’ developmental period in terms of the baby’s neurodevelopment and thereby a significant window of opportunity to equalize the life chances of all children. This chapter examines some of the key changes that can occur during the ‘transition to parenthood’ and the potential impact in terms of long-term well-being of the infant and child. Innovative and evidence-based methods of working to support the couple in the transition to parenthood are described, and the effectiveness of such programmes reviewed in terms of both parental and infant well-being.

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Supporting transition to parenthood in Aotearoa New Zealand

Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work ◽

10.11157/anzswj-vol28iss3id243 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 28 (3) ◽

pp. 4-14 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Irene De Haan

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Narrative Analysis ◽

Transition To Parenthood ◽

Well Being ◽

Small Scale ◽

Process Change ◽

Vulnerable Children ◽

Aotearoa New Zealand ◽

First Time ◽

Depth Interviews

INTRODUCTION: Recent rhetoric about investing in ‘vulnerable’ children disregards the reality that the magnitude of change accompanying adaptation to parenthood makes all infants and their families vulnerable. This article reports the findings of a small-scale qualitative study of Aotearoa New Zealand parents’ experiences of transition to parenthood and their views on support received or wished for.AIM: To gain insight into how adaptation to life with a baby is experienced and how support could be improved.METHODS: The study involved sequential in-depth interviews with each of 25 socioeconomically diverse first-time mothers and a single set of interviews with 11 fathers and one grandmother. Narrative analysis was used to discern themes.FINDINGS: Participants expressed surprise regarding challenges inherent in adaptation to parenthood. While they deeply appreciated support from Lead Maternity Carers, they saw later professional support as ‘for the baby’. They found little support to deal with problems experienced, which encompassed financial, accommodation, mental health and relationship issues.CONCLUSION: A true investment approach would build on families’ commitment to making beneficial change for the sake of their baby. Well-being could be promoted by longer stays in maternity facilities and straightforward information and coaching about dealing with change as well as about infant care. Fathers’ needs should be carefully considered to help secure engagement in life with a baby. There is a key role for family support social work in designing relevant services and in meeting a need for ‘someone to talk to’ for early help to process change and resolve problems.

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Psychological Resilience Provides No Independent Protection From Suicidal Risk

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910/a000364 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 37 (2) ◽

pp. 130-139 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Danica W. Y. Liu ◽

A. Kate Fairweather-Schmidt ◽

Richard Burns ◽

Rachel M. Roberts ◽

Kaarin J. Anstey

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Well Being ◽

Current Status ◽

Psychological Resilience ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Life Project ◽

Resilience Factors ◽

First Time

Abstract. Background: Little is known about the role of resilience in the likelihood of suicidal ideation (SI) over time. Aims: We examined the association between resilience and SI in a young-adult cohort over 4 years. Our objectives were to determine whether resilience was associated with SI at follow-up or, conversely, whether SI was associated with lowered resilience at follow-up. Method: Participants were selected from the Personality and Total Health (PATH) Through Life Project from Canberra and Queanbeyan, Australia, aged 28–32 years at the first time point and 32–36 at the second. Multinomial, linear, and binary regression analyses explored the association between resilience and SI over two time points. Models were adjusted for suicidality risk factors. Results: While unadjusted analyses identified associations between resilience and SI, these effects were fully explained by the inclusion of other suicidality risk factors. Conclusion: Despite strong cross-sectional associations, resilience and SI appear to be unrelated in a longitudinal context, once risk/resilience factors are controlled for. As independent indicators of psychological well-being, suicidality and resilience are essential if current status is to be captured. However, the addition of other factors (e.g., support, mastery) makes this association tenuous. Consequently, resilience per se may not be protective of SI.

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Faktor-Faktor Determinan yang melatar belakangi Kehamilan Remaja di Desa Pandansari Kecamatan Poncokusumo Kabupaten Malang

Jurnal Ners dan Kebidanan (Journal of Ners and Midwifery) ◽

10.26699/jnk.v7i2.art.p247-255 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 247-255

Author(s):

Maria Magdalena Setyaningsih ◽

Emy Sutiyarsih

Keyword(s):

Sex Education ◽

Teen Pregnancy ◽

Teenage Pregnancy ◽

Well Being ◽

Case Control ◽

Control Group ◽

Case Group ◽

The Family ◽

History Of ◽

First Time

Kehamilan remaja adalah kehamilan yang terjadi pada remaja berusia kurang dari 20 tahunan. Kehamilan remaja memberikan banyak kerugian bagi kesehatan, mental dan psikologis, kesejahteraan ekonomi dan peluang karier, kemiskinan dan prospek kehidupan masa depan remaja. Tujuan penelitian mengidentifikasi faktor determinan yang melatarbelakangi terjadinya kehamilan remaja. Jenis penelitian adalah penelitian analitik kategorik jenis survei kuantitatif dengan desain case control. Populasi semua perempuan yang bertempat tinggal di wilayah dusun Wonosari, Sukosari, dan Krajan Pandansari dan pernah/sedang hamil pertama kali pada usia kurang dari 20 tahun. Teknik pengambilan sampel cluster random sampling besar sampel 73. Berdasarkan hasil model akhir analisis multivariat, diketahui bahwa variabel pendidikan, riwayat kehamilan remaja pada keluarga dan usia menikah merupakan variabel yang berhubungan dengan kejadian kehamilan remaja setelah dikontrol oleh variabel akses informasi, responden berpendidikan rendah memiliki peluang 20,8 kali lebih tinggi, responden yang memiliki riwayat kehamilan remaja pada keluarga memiliki peluang 14,9 kali lebih tinggi, responden yang menikah pada usia <20 tahun memiliki peluang 12,1 kali lebih tinggi, responden dengan pemahaman yang kurang baik terkait penggunaan kondom memiliki peluang 5,9 kali lebih tinggi untuk terjadi kehamilan remaja. Oleh karena itu perlu dibangun karakter buiding, sosial karakter suport untuk para ibu remaja dan keluarga sehingga terbangun interaksi yang baik dalam keluarga yang dilandasi dengan pendidikan dan pemahaman yang baik tentang Pendidikan seksualitas. Teen pregnancy is a pregnancy that occurs in adolescents aged less than 20 years old. Teen pregnancy provides many disadvantages for health, mental, psychological, economic well-being, career opportunities, poverty, and the future life. The aim of the study was to identify the determinants underlying teen pregnancy incidence. This study was a quantitative study with categorical analytic method. The study design used a case control with two comparison groups. The groups were control group and case group. The population in this study was all women who lived in the Wonosari, Sukosari, and Krajan Pandansari district and had or were pregnant for the first time at the age of less than 20 years old. Seventy three respondents were recruited using cluster sampling technique. The case group consists of women who were or had pregnant for the first time at the age of less than 20 years old and their children are currently aged ≤ 1 years old. The control group consists of women who were pregnant for the first time at the age of > 20 years old. The data was collected using a questionnaire. The findings showed that education, history of teen pregnancy in family and the age of marriage were related to the incidence of teen pregnancy after being controlled by information access. Low-educated respondents had 20.8 times higher chance of experiencing teen pregnancy; respondents with a history of teen pregnancy in the family had 4.9 times higher chance of experiencing teen pregnancy; respondents who were married at the age of < 20 years old had 12.1 times higher chance of experiencing teen pregnancy; respondents with poor understanding of condom use had 5.9 times higher chance of teenage pregnancy. In conclusion, the findings suggest to build good interactions in the family based on education and a good understanding of sex education.

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Changes in Family Roles and Subjective Well-Being among Japanese Adults

Journal of Family Issues ◽

10.1177/0192513x21994137 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 0192513X2199413

Author(s):

Yuko Hara

Keyword(s):

Fixed Effects ◽

Transition To Parenthood ◽

Well Being ◽

Family Roles ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Men And Women ◽

Self Rated Health ◽

Japanese Adults ◽

Effect Theory ◽

And Gender

Research in Western countries has demonstrated that marriage is associated with improved well-being, and parenthood with decreased well-being, for both men and women. However, less is known about whether the associations are universal for both genders across countries. Using nine waves of panel data and fixed effects models, this study examines the relationship between changes in family roles and subjective well-being of men and women in the highly gendered social context of Japan. Well-being was assessed across two domains: self-rated health and mental health. The results broadly support the protective effect theory, which posits that marriage itself has a positive effect on well-being; however, no association was observed between becoming a wife and self-rated health. Contrary to what previous research predicts, only men’s self-rated health negatively responds to transition to parenthood. These findings highlight the importance of country context and gender differences in the significance of family obligations.

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A pilot study on the impact of a first-time central heating intervention on resident mental wellbeing

Indoor and Built Environment ◽

10.1177/1420326x20975468 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1420326X2097546

Author(s):

Richard A Sharpe ◽

Andrew J Williams ◽

Ben Simpson ◽

Gemma Finnegan ◽

Tim Jones

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Indoor Environment ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Well Being ◽

Waiting List ◽

Mental Wellbeing ◽

Central Heating ◽

The Impact ◽

First Time ◽

Mental Well Being

Fuel poverty affects around 34% of European homes, representing a considerable burden to society and healthcare systems. This pilot study assesses the impact of an intervention to install a new first time central heating system in order to reduce fuel poverty on household satisfaction with indoor temperatures/environment, ability to pay bills and mental well-being. In Cornwall, 183 households received the intervention and a further 374 went onto a waiting list control. A post-intervention postal questionnaires and follow-up phone calls were undertaken ( n = 557) to collect data on household demographics, resident satisfaction with indoor environment, finances and mental well-being (using the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing scale). We compared responses between the waiting list control and intervention group to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. A total of 31% of participants responded, 83 from the waiting list control and 71 from the intervention group. The intervention group reported improvements in the indoor environment, finances and mental well-being. However, these benefits were not expressed by all participants, which may result from diverse resident behaviours, lifestyles and housing characteristics. Future policies need to consider whole house approaches alongside resident training and other behaviour change techniques that can account for complex interactions between behaviours and the built environment.

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Can Local Policies Reduce the Gap between ‘Centers’ and ‘Inner Areas’? The Case of Italian Municipalities’ Expenditure

Economies ◽

10.3390/economies8020033 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 33 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Luca Romagnoli ◽

Luigi Mastronardi

Keyword(s):

Public Expenditure ◽

Econometric Model ◽

Well Being ◽

Top Down ◽

Convergence Process ◽

Expenditure Data ◽

Essential Services ◽

Per Capita ◽

First Time ◽

Significant Distance

This study analyzes the links between Italian inner area municipalities’ expenditure and per capita incomes, considered as a proxy of well-being. Inner areas are territorial contexts characterized by a significant distance from the centers, the main supply poles of essential services. Following a top-down approach, the paper at first demonstrates the existence of a global convergence process in per capita incomes, with a faster rate of convergence in inner areas with respect to centers; then, attention is focused on local administrations’ policies and their impact on incomes in Italian inner areas. The paper gives a twofold contribution to the debate about the implementation of territorial cohesion policies: (a) on one side, public expenditure data are considered for the first time in an econometric model regarding Italian inner areas; (b) on the other side, the reference territorial subdivision is the lowest possible, giving the opportunity to investigate the changes in well-being at the finest scale.

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Pregnancy Intentions During the Transition to Parenthood and Links to Coparenting for First-Time Fathers of Infants

Parenting ◽

10.1080/15295190802656729 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 9 (1-2) ◽

pp. 1-35 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Jacinta Bronte-Tinkew ◽

Mindy E. Scott ◽

Allison Horowitz ◽

Emily Lilja

Keyword(s):

Transition To Parenthood ◽

Pregnancy Intentions ◽

First Time

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Wartime Prosperity? A Reassessment of the U.S. Economy in the 1940s

The Journal of Economic History ◽

10.1017/s0022050700010251 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 52 (1) ◽

pp. 41-60 ◽

Cited By ~ 66

Author(s):

Robert Higgs

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

World War Ii ◽

Performance Measures ◽

Well Being ◽

The United States ◽

World War ◽

Macroeconomic Performance ◽

Command Economy ◽

First Time ◽

The U.S

Relying on standard measures of macroeconomic performance, historians and economists believe that “war prosperity” prevailed in the United States during World War II. This belief is ill-founded, because it does not recognize that the United States had a command economy during the war. From 1942 to 1946 some macroeconomic performance measures are statistically inaccurate; others are conceptually inappropriate. A better grounded interpretation is that during the war the economy was a huge arsenal in which the well-being of consumers deteriorated. After the war genuine prosperity returned for the first time since 1929.

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