Birth of a New Perspective? A Call for Biopsychosocial Research on Childbirth

Childbirth is a major life event with implications for family health, but it has been understudied by psychological scientists. The biopsychosocial model, which posits that health is shaped by biological, social, psychological, and cultural processes, can describe birth. The physiology of birth involves the interplay of hormones such as cortisol and oxytocin that are known to be affected by socioemotional factors. Existing theories on pain, stress, and social support can be applied to birth. Psychologists can adapt and incorporate empirically supported treatments, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction, into childbirth education. Although father presence at birth represents a relatively new phenomenon, research on partner support has been lacking. Birth experiences may mediate associations between prenatal stress and postpartum adjustment, suggesting a need for more integrated, longitudinal research on birth.

Perinatal Psychology

Most adults undergo the transition to parenthood, yet there is a great deal of mystery and uncertainty inherent in this period of time. Because the perinatal period is of great interest to scholars and laypeople alike, much research has been dedicated to the psychological, behavioral, physiological, and neurochemical experiences associated with pregnancy and lactation. This chapter identifies key themes in the perinatal literature and future directions for research. An abundance of research has characterized and described the changes that women undergo during the transition to parenthood, the effects of adjustment problems on women and their infants, and interventions to assist women who are experiencing or are at risk for adjustment problems. Future interdisciplinary research is necessary to capture the complex interactions among psychological, behavioral, physiological, neurochemical, and environmental variables that can explain good and poor outcomes associated with pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum adjustment.