Preparing for parenthood: How feelings of responsibility and efficacy impact expectant parents

Susanne N. Biehle, Kristin D. Mickelson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

Relatively little is known about what impacts perinatal outcomes in expectant mothers and fathers. In the current study, we examined the association between expected parenting efficacy and feelings of pregnancy responsibility on mental health and relationship satisfaction in 104 primiparous couples during their third trimester. Parenting efficacy was related to better perinatal mental health and relationship satisfaction for both mothers and fathers, while communal pregnancy responsibility was more important for mothers. At the couple level, being concordant on feelings of pregnancy responsibility was related to better mental health and relationship satisfaction for expectant mothers only. These results suggest the importance of examining predictors of perinatal outcomes, as well as the dynamic interplay between mothers' and fathers' feelings of pregnancy responsibility.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)668-683
Number of pages16
JournalJournal of Social and Personal Relationships
Volume28
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2011
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • efficacy
  • mental health
  • parenthood
  • pregnancy
  • relationship satisfaction

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology
  • Communication
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology
  • Sociology and Political Science

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Preparing for parenthood: How feelings of responsibility and efficacy impact expectant parents'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this