Expectant Fathers' Attachment Orientation and Preparation for Parenthood

The purpose of the current study was to explore whether selfcompassion predicted psychological distress over and above childhood maltreatment and attachment orientation in high-risk youths. Fifty-one youths (31 males, 20 females) aged 17 to 24, recruited from a community non-profit organization in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, were administered validated measures of childhood maltreatment, attachment orientation, self-compassion, and psychological distress. Results indicated that self-compassion was inversely associated with childhood maltreatment, attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, and psychological distress. However, results did not support the hypothesis that self-compassion was a significant predictor of psychological distress over and above attachment anxiety and childhood maltreatment in high-risk youths. Our results indicated that self-compassion is not well developed in street-involved youths and may be a vital intervention target to heal negative internalized views of the self, while maintaining vigilance to threats inherent in the street environment.

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Screening for Early Signs of Paternal Perinatal Affective Disorder in Expectant Fathers: A Cluster Analysis Approach

Journal of Personalized Medicine ◽

10.3390/jpm11010010 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 10

Author(s):

Sonia Mangialavori ◽

Michele Giannotti ◽

Marco Cacioppo ◽

Federico Spelzini ◽

Franco Baldoni

Keyword(s):

Perceived Stress ◽

Behavioral Problems ◽

Marital Adjustment ◽

Risky Behaviors ◽

Perinatal Period ◽

Dyadic Adjustment ◽

Male Population ◽

Cluster Membership ◽

Expectant Fathers ◽

The Individual

Previous studies documented gender-related differences in the expression of Perinatal Affective Disorders. However, little attention has been paid to screening the male population during the perinatal period. This study was based on three aims: (1) to investigate the mental health of expectant fathers based on their levels of depression, anxiety, addiction, anger attacks/hostility, and somatization, identifying psychological profiles; (2) to analyze the association between these profiles and the individual variable of perceived stress; (3) and to examine the association between these profiles and the couple’s variable of marital adjustment. A total of 350 Italian expectant fathers in the last trimester of pregnancy were asked to fill in questionnaires concerning perceived stress, dyadic adjustment, psychiatric symptomatology, and depression. Three different clusters were found: “psychologically healthy men” (68%) with low levels of symptoms on all the scales; “men at risk of externalized behavioral problems” (17.1%), characterized by one or more addictive or risky behaviors and moderate levels of scales scores; and “men experiencing psychological distress” (14.9%), with the highest scores on all the scales. A significant association emerged among the perceived stress, marital adjustment, and cluster membership. These results highlight the importance of screening fathers in perinatal health services, which are still predominantly mother-centered, and underscore the necessity to create tailored and personalized interventions.

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Adult attachment and engagement with fictional characters

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships ◽

10.1177/02654075211018513 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 026540752110185

Author(s):

Marina Rain ◽

Raymond A. Mar

Keyword(s):

Adult Attachment ◽

Essential Role ◽

Fictional Characters ◽

Conservative Approach ◽

Attachment Orientation ◽

Character Identification ◽

Parasocial Interactions ◽

Attachment Dimensions

Adult attachment influences how people engage with stories, in terms of how immersed or transported they become into these narratives and the tendency to form close bonds with characters. This likely stems from the ability of stories and story characters to provide interpersonal intimacy without the threat of rejection. In Study 1, we expand on this work to examine how attachment relates to two previously uninvestigated aspects of character engagement: character identification and parasocial interactions. Taking a statistically conservative approach, controlling for broader traits, we demonstrate that the attachment dimensions of anxiety and avoidance differentially predict these forms of character engagement. A high-powered, pre-registered, Study 2 follows up on these results by examining the types of characters that are most appealing, based on one’s attachment orientation. Together, these studies demonstrate that attachment plays an essential role in both how we engage with characters and the types of characters to whom we are attracted.

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Maternity Handbook for Pregnant Mothers and Expectant Fathers

AJN American Journal of Nursing ◽

10.2307/3412061 ◽

1932 ◽

Vol 32 (10) ◽

pp. 1112

Author(s):

Ruth W. Hubbard ◽

Anne A. Stevens

Keyword(s):

Expectant Fathers ◽

Pregnant Mothers

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Husbands and Pregnancy. The Handbook for Expectant Fathers

American Journal of Public Health and the Nations Health ◽

10.2105/ajph.47.5.622-b ◽

1957 ◽

Vol 47 (5) ◽

pp. 622-623

Author(s):

Horace Hughes

Keyword(s):

Expectant Fathers

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Preconception prediction of expectant fathers' mental health: 20-year cohort study from adolescence

BJPsych Open ◽

10.1192/bjo.2017.10 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 58-60 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Elizabeth Spry ◽

Rebecca Giallo ◽

Margarita Moreno-Betancur ◽

Jacqui Macdonald ◽

Denise Becker ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Common Mental Disorders ◽

Common Mental Disorder ◽

Health Problems ◽

Adolescent And Young Adult ◽

Future Research ◽

Expectant Fathers

We examined prospective associations between men's common mental disorders in the decades prior to offspring conception and subsequent paternal antenatal mental health problems. Data came from a prospective intergenerational cohort study which assessed common mental disorder nine times from age 14 to 29 years, and in the third trimester of subsequent pregnancies to age 35 years (N = 295 pregnancies to 214 men). Men with histories of adolescent and young adult common mental disorders were over four times more likely to experience antenatal mental health problems. Future research identifying modifiable perinatal factors that counteract preconception risk would provide further targets for intervention.Declaration of interestNone.

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First-Time Fathers’ Study: Psychological Distress in Expectant Fathers During Pregnancy

Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1080/00048670701517959 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 41 (9) ◽

pp. 718-725 ◽

Cited By ~ 90

Author(s):

Philip Boyce ◽

John Condon ◽

Jodi Barton ◽

Carolyn Corkindale

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Psychological Functioning ◽

General Health Questionnaire ◽

First Trimester ◽

Psychological Variables ◽

Pregnancy And Childbirth ◽

Expectant Fathers ◽

Excess Number

Objective: High levels of distress have previously been reported among expectant fathers, with the level of distress for new fathers falling after the birth and during the first year of their infants’ lives. The aim of the present study was to report on the associations with the fathers’ initial high levels of distress. Method: The men completed a series of questionnaires on various aspects of their psychological functioning at a baseline assessment when their partners were in the late first trimester of their pregnancy. The General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) was the key measure of psychological distress for the present study. Men scoring >5 on the GHQ were considered to be cases of distress. The cases and non-cases were contrasted on the baseline psychosocial measures. Results: A total of 312 men completed the questionnaires, of whom 18.6% were designated as cases. GHQ caseness was associated with high levels of symptoms on other measures of psychological distress, higher levels of alcohol consumption, poorer quality of their current intimate relationship, poorer social support, a lower quality of life, high levels of neuroticism and the use of immature ego defences. Multiple regression analysis identified the key variables associated with psychological distress to be high levels of neuroticism, dissatisfaction with social support and an excess number of additional life events. Conclusions: Psychological distress among expectant fathers is associated with a range of psychological variables, particularly poor marital relationship and poor social networks. This is consistent with a general vulnerability model for psychological distress. Fathers who had insufficient information about pregnancy and childbirth were also at risk of being distressed, suggesting that more attention needs to be paid to providing information to men about their partner's pregnancy, childbirth and issues relating to caring for a newborn infant.

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