Maternal Pregnancy Wantedness and Perceptions of Paternal Pregnancy Wantedness: Associations with Perinatal Mental Healt
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Maternal Pregnancy Wantedness and Perceptions of Paternal Pregnancy Wantedness: Associations with Perinatal Mental Health and Relationship Dynamics Victoria M. Atzl1 · Angela J. Narayan1,2 · Alexandra Ballinger3 · William W. Harris4 · Alicia F. Lieberman2 Accepted: 7 November 2020 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Objectives This study examined maternal pregnancy wantedness and perceptions of paternal wantedness, and their associations with maternal perinatal mental health symptoms and relationship dynamics. Methods Low-income, ethnically-diverse pregnant women (N = 101, Mage = 29.10 years, SDage = 6.56, rangeage = 18–44; 37% Latina, 22% African-American, 20% White, 21% biracial/multiracial/other) completed semi-structured interviews of pregnancy wantedness coded by trained raters, and standardized instruments of depression and PTSD symptoms during pregnancy and at 3–4-months postpartum. Results While maternal pregnancy wantedness (rated from 0-Predominately Ambivalent, 1-Mixed, and 2-Predominately Positive) showed no significant associations, a couple-level scale that combined maternal wantedness and her perceptions of paternal wantedness (Equally Positive Wantedness, Mom Wants More, Dad Wants More and Equally Ambivalent) showed several significant associations. Compared to women in the Equally Positive group, women in the Mom Wants More group had significantly higher prenatal and postnatal depression symptoms, prenatal PTSD symptoms, and prenatal and postnatal relationship conflict; and lower prenatal and postnatal relationship support. Women in the Mom Wants More group also had significantly higher prenatal and postnatal depression symptoms and prenatal conflict; and lower prenatal support than women in the Dad Wants More group. Conclusions for Practice Women who perceive themselves as wanting the pregnancy more than their baby’s father are at higher risk for mental health and relationship problems than women who perceive themselves and their partners as equally ambivalent. Providers should ask women about their perceptions of partners’ pregnancy wantedness to inform delivery of targeted mental health and relationship-based intervention during pregnancy. Keywords Pregnancy wantedness · PTSD · Depression · Relationship dynamics
Significance
* Victoria M. Atzl [email protected] 1
Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, USA
2
Department of Psychiatry/Child Trauma Research Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
3
Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA
4
Children’s Research and Education Institute, New York City, USA
What is already known on this subject? Most research defines unintended pregnancies as mistimed or unwanted, obscuring understanding of unique antecedents and consequences. Research is needed on the extent to which maternal pregnancy wantedness and maternal perceptions of paternal wantedness affect perinatal wellbeing, including maternal mental health and r
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