Fair enough? Decreased equity of dyadic coping across the transition to parenthood associated with depression of first-time parents

The transition to parenthood is a stressful life event that often leads to decreases in relationship satisfaction over time. Guided by the Stress Buffering Model, we examined how pregnancy intention and humor use are associated with relationship satisfaction across the transition to parenthood using a multi-wave longitudinal design. First-time parents were initially assessed prenatally and then every 6-month postpartum for 2 years. Six months after birth, each couple was video-recorded engaging in two support discussions where each partner’s use of different humor styles was observed and rated. The results revealed a positive association between affiliative humor use (assessed at 6-month postpartum) and relationship satisfaction (assessed across the entire transition) for men and women. For men only, there was an interaction between pregnancy intention (assessed prenatally) and aggressive humor use (assessed 6-month postpartum). Specifically, when the pregnancy was unplanned, men who displayed higher levels of aggressive humor at 6-month postpartum reported higher overall relationship satisfaction. There also was a significant interaction between men’s (but not women’s) affiliative humor use and pregnancy intention, such that when men reported an unplanned pregnancy, their greater use of affiliative humor buffered declines in their relationship satisfaction. These findings suggest that, for men, greater use of affiliative humor appears to forestall declines in their relationship satisfaction. More broadly, different forms of humor may promote or sustain higher levels of relationship satisfaction in men across the chronically stressful transition to parenthood because they serve key communicative functions.

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Is it me or you? First-time mothers’ attributions for postpartum sexual concerns are associated with sexual and relationship satisfaction in the transition to parenthood

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships ◽

10.1177/0265407517743086 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 35 (4) ◽

pp. 577-599 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Sarah A. Vannier ◽

Kaitlyn E. Adare ◽

Natalie O. Rosen

Keyword(s):

Relationship Satisfaction ◽

Intimate Relationships ◽

Sexual Functioning ◽

Transition To Parenthood ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Four Dimensions ◽

Wide Range ◽

First Time Mothers ◽

Sexual Concerns ◽

First Time

Most first-time mothers experience a decline in both their sexual and relationship satisfaction from prepregnancy, which has negative consequences for the couple and their family. Prior studies have begun to identify risk and protective factors (e.g., empathy) for postpartum sexual and relationship satisfaction. Causal attributions for postpartum sexual concerns may be important because a specific cause can be difficult to pinpoint given the wide range of postpartum sexual problems among first-time parents. In the current study, 120 first-time mothers (3–12 months postpartum) completed validated measures assessing attributions for postpartum sexual concerns, sexual satisfaction, and relationship satisfaction. Attributions were measured on four dimensions: internal/external (i.e., is the sexual concern due to the self or the situation), stable/unstable (i.e., will the cause of the concern occur again in the future), global/specific (i.e., will the cause of the concern affect other situations), and partner responsibility (i.e., is the partner the cause). When new mothers reported more stable and partner attributions for postpartum sexual concerns, they were less sexually satisfied, and when they attributed greater responsibility for sexual concerns to their partners, they were less satisfied with their overall relationship. These associations remained significant after controlling for potential challenges that may also impact sexual and relationship satisfaction during this period (i.e., breastfeeding, sexual frequency, depressive symptoms, fatigue, sexual functioning). As postpartum sexual concerns are common, attributions for these changes may be a valuable target for interventions aimed at strengthening the intimate relationships of women making the transition to parenthood.

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“A Blessing and a Curse” Couples Dealing with Ambivalence Concerning Grandparental Involvement During the Transition to Parenthood—A Longitudinal Study

Journal of Family Issues ◽

10.1177/0192513x20950786 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 0192513X2095078

Author(s):

Ulrike Zartler ◽

Eva-Maria Schmidt ◽

Cornelia Schadler ◽

Irene Rieder ◽

Rudolf Richter

Keyword(s):

Transition To Parenthood ◽

Intergenerational Relationships ◽

Transition Process ◽

Mothers And Fathers ◽

Longitudinal Patterns ◽

Individual Interviews ◽

First Time ◽

Parental Strategies ◽

Longitudinal Case Studies ◽

Parents Experiences

This contribution provides an investigation of first-time parents’ experiences and strategies in dealing with ambivalence—i.e., the simultaneous presence of contradictory emotions—regarding grandparental involvement during the transition to parenthood. The study is based on qualitative longitudinal case studies comprising in-depth individual interviews with 11 Austrian couples of first-time mothers and fathers prebirth, and six months and two years after childbirth ( n = 66 interviews). Parents reported ambivalent feelings toward grandparental involvement during all stages of the transition process. We identified three parental strategies for dealing with ambivalence: inclusion, delimitation, and exclusion. Intracouple dynamics are shown to be the key aspect in the variation of these strategies over time. These dynamics are captured in three longitudinal patterns: parallel, divergent, and convergent paths. Overall, the study points to the complexity and fluidity of intergenerational relationships and demonstrates the challenges of negotiating ambivalence within couples and families during the transition to first-time parenthood.

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The First-Time Fathers Study: a prospective study of the mental health and wellbeing of men during the transition to parenthood

Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1111/j.1440-1614.2004.01298.x ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 38 (1-2) ◽

pp. 56-64 ◽

Cited By ~ 142

Author(s):

John T. Condon ◽

Philip Boyce ◽

Carolyn J. Corkindale

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Prospective Study ◽

Transition To Parenthood ◽

Health And Wellbeing ◽

A Prospective Study ◽

First Time

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Becoming a parent: a model of parents' post-partum experience

Paidéia (Ribeirão Preto) ◽

10.1590/s0103-863x2006000100005 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 16 (33) ◽

pp. 25-36 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Francine de Montigny ◽

Carl Lacharité ◽

Élyse Amyot

Keyword(s):

Health Professionals ◽

Transition To Parenthood ◽

Post Partum ◽

Perceived Efficacy ◽

Positive Difference ◽

Perception Of Control ◽

First Child ◽

Help Giving ◽

First Time ◽

Parents Experiences

Perceiving oneself as parent is a key challenge during the transition to parenthood. The importance of health professionals in determining perceived efficacy in parents upon the birth of their child is few explored. The objective of this study is to analayze the relations between the first time parents' perceived efficacy and their perceptions of nurses' help-giving and critical events during post-partum period. SAMPLE AND METHOD: One hundred sixty couples participated in a correlational study by completing questionaires after the birth of their first child. RESULTS: A model of parents' postpartum experience was established where nurses' collaboration and help-giving practices contribute directly and indirectly to the parents' perception of control and perceptions of events. They contribute indirectly to parent's perceived self-efficacy. IMPLICATIONS: The help given by health professionals, especially nurses, to parents following the birth of a child makes a major positive difference in the parents' experiences.

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Together Against COVID-19 Concerns: The Role of the Dyadic Coping Process for Partners’ Psychological Well-Being During the Pandemic

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2020.578395 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Silvia Donato ◽

Miriam Parise ◽

Ariela Francesca Pagani ◽

Margherita Lanz ◽

Camillo Regalia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Emergency Situation ◽

Well Being ◽

Dyadic Coping ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Coping Responses ◽

Coping Process ◽

Management Processes ◽

Containment Measures ◽

First Time ◽

Couples Coping

The situation caused by the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been representing a great source of concern and a challenge to the psychological well-being of many individuals around the world. For couples in particular, this extraordinary rise in concern, combined with the stress posed by the virus containment measures, such as prolonged cohabitation and lack of support networks, may have increased the likelihood of couple problems. At the same time, however, COVID-19 concerns may have been a stimulus to activate couples’ stress management processes. A couple’s resource, which may have an important role in dealing with COVID-19 concerns and stress, is dyadic coping, i.e., the process through which partners face stress together. Drawing on a sample of 1,823 Italian individuals involved in a couple relationship, the current study tested a serial mediation model in which concerns about COVID-19 predicted psychological well-being, through both explicit stress communication and perceived partner dyadic coping responses. In addition, the study explored whether this dyadic coping process functioned the same way in satisfied and dissatisfied couples. Results showed that concerns about the situation related to COVID-19 significantly threatened individuals’ psychological well-being. However, these concerns positively predicted explicit stress communication, which in turn positively predicted perceived partner’s dyadic coping responses, which finally positively predicted psychological well-being. In addition, in the group of dissatisfied individuals, the association between explicit stress communication and perceived partners’ dyadic coping responses was not significant. The present study adds to the research on couples’ coping by testing for the first time the whole theoretical model of dyadic coping and does so during a global emergency situation. The study also suggests key components of preventive interventions for individuals in couples.

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Romantic attachment, dyadic coping, and parental adjustment across the transition to parenthood

Personal Relationships ◽

10.1111/pere.12278 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 26 (2) ◽

pp. 286-309 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Stephanie Alves ◽

Anne Milek ◽

Guy Bodenmann ◽

Ana Fonseca ◽

Maria C. Canavarro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Transition To Parenthood ◽

Romantic Attachment ◽

Dyadic Coping ◽

Parental Adjustment

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Relationship Behaviors across the Transition to Parenthood

Journal of Family Issues ◽

10.1177/0192513x19878864 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 41 (4) ◽

pp. 483-506 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Valentina Rauch-Anderegg ◽

Rebekka Kuhn ◽

Anne Milek ◽

W. Kim Halford ◽

Guy Bodenmann

Keyword(s):

Relationship Satisfaction ◽

Positive Relationship ◽

Transition To Parenthood ◽

Self Regulation ◽

Dyadic Coping ◽

Relationship Education ◽

Negative Behaviors ◽

First Child ◽

Negative Communication ◽

Regulation Strategies

The transition to parenthood (TTP) often is associated with declines in couple relationship satisfaction. The current study evaluated changes in three relationship behaviors, namely communication, dyadic coping and relationship self-regulation, across the TTP and the association of those behaviors with relationship satisfaction. One hundred and three couples completed questionnaires twice before and three times after the birth of their first child. Prenatally, all behaviors were stable, except negative communication that declined. Postnatally, positive relationship behaviors decreased in both genders, and negative communication increased in men. Negative behaviors were associated with relationship satisfaction throughout the TTP. Furthermore, relationship self-regulation strategies and males’ negative dyadic coping prospectively predicted male relationship satisfaction, while men’s supportive dyadic coping predicted female relationship satisfaction. Enhancing positive relationship behaviors through relationship education programs might help couples successfully adjust to parenthood.

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

Journal of Child and Family Studies ◽

10.1007/s10826-020-01727-z ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 (7) ◽

pp. 1938-1956 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Sylvie Lévesque ◽

Véronique Bisson ◽

Laurence Charton ◽

Mylène Fernet

Keyword(s):

Transition To Parenthood ◽

Well Being ◽

First Time

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