Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology最新文献

Background: Lesbian women and gay men (LG) tend to report lower levels of parenthood aspiration than their heterosexual counterparts. While several variables have been suggested to explain this phenomenon, no study has investigated the potential mediating role of interpersonal vulnerability and subjective traumatic outlook in the association between sexual orientation and the estimated likelihood of parenthood.

Objective: To investigate whether interpersonal vulnerability and subjective traumatic outlook mediate the association between sexual orientation and a lower estimated likelihood of parenthood.

Methods: A sample of 435 childfree, cisgender Israeli participants, aged 18-49 years (M = 27.82, SD = 4.47), were recruited through convenience sampling. 192 participants self-reported as LG (64 lesbian women and 128 gay men). Participants completed online questionnaires assessing their estimated likelihood of parenthood, interpersonal vulnerability, and subjective traumatic outlook. Mediation analyses were performed using the PROCESS macro.

Results: LG individuals reported a lower estimated likelihood of parenthood than their heterosexual counterparts. Interpersonal vulnerability and subjective traumatic outlook significantly mediated the association between sexual orientation and a lower estimated likelihood of parenthood.

Conclusions: Despite improvement in the socio-political climate relating to sexual minority rights and access to fertility technologies, LG individuals are still more likely to report a lower estimated likelihood of parenthood in comparison to heterosexual individuals. Moreover, this gap appears to be partially mediated by interpersonal vulnerability and subjective traumatic outlook. The results contribute to the growing body of international research exploring family formation among sexual minority individuals and are relevant for researchers, clinicians, and policymakers.

Objective: This study aims to develop a Portuguese-language version of the Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R) for clinical and research use in Portugal (PT-BSS-R). The factor structure, its invariance across depression levels, and the internal consistency of the PT-BSS-R were analysed.

Method: A sample of 1373 Portuguese-speaking postpartum women completed a sociodemographic and clinical form, the PT-BSS-R, and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale through an online survey tool. Four competing models were tested through confirmatory factor analyses and bifactor model-based psychometric indices were calculated. The internal consistency and the divergent/convergent validity are analysed.

Results: The psychometric properties of PT-BSS-R were found to be generally excellent. Both the original correlated three-factor model and the bifactor model exhibited a good fit to the data. Results from the bifactor model support the use of both the BSS-R total score and the subscale scores. Exemplary invariance findings were observed between groups stratified on the basis of depression screening. PT-BSS-R has demonstrated both divergent and convergent validity as well as internal consistency.

Conclusion: PT-BSS-R is a psychometrically robust measure of birth satisfaction appropriate for clinical and research use in Portugal.

Background: The Karitane Parenting Confidence Scale (KPCS) was designed to assess parenting self-efficacy in parents of infants during the first year.

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyse the psychometric characteristics of the KPCS in Portuguese mothers during the first-year postpartum.

Methods: A sample of 383 mothers were recruited at two public outpatient units in Northern Portugal. Mothers completed the KPCS, a sociodemographic questionnaire, and measures of depressive and anxiety symptoms at least one time between two weeks, three, six and 12 months postpartum.

Results: Good fit was found for a factor model with three subscales: parenting, support and child development. The KPCS presented good internal consistency. Regarding the criterion validity of the KPCS, significant effects of mother's age were found on the development subscale and significant associations were found between mother's depressive and anxiety symptoms and the KPCS total scale and subscales. Optimal clinical cut-offs were suggested.

Conclusion: Findings provided evidence on the psychometric characteristics of the KPCS which can be used to assess parenting self-efficacy in Portuguese mothers during the first-year postpartum, possibly identifying mothers with low parenting self-efficacy.

Background: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), affecting 1-11% of reproductive-age women, is characterised by many symptoms that cause important concerns especially in young adults.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the concerns about fertility, social appearance, and relationships in young adults with PCOS.

Methodology: This descriptive study included 140 young female adults aged 18-26, who were diagnosed with PCOS, agreed to participate in the onlineresearch through social media between July and December 2022 in Turkey. Data were collected using the 'Participant Interview Form' and the "Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS).

Results: The mean age of the participants was 22.1 ± 2.1. As the most common symptoms, 78.6% experienced menstrual irregularities, 16.4% were overweight, 7.1% were obese, 67.1% had hirsutism and 65.7% had acne. Most of the participants expressed concerns about future infertility (72.9%), and worried about being unable to conceive due to PCOS in the future (sometimes = 61.4%). Over eighty percent of the participants expressed some level of dissatisfaction with their physical appearance. They commonly believe that their self-esteem, emotionalstate, social relationships and partner relationships could be negatively affected by PCOS. SAAS scores were significantly increased by low income, high BMI, hirsutism, dissatisfaction with physicalappearance, low self-esteem, emotional problems and concerns related to social and partner relationships (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Young adults have common concerns about the potential negative impacts of PCOS on fertility, social appearance, and relationships. Health professionals should be aware of their counselling needs about the possible physical and psycho-social effects of PCOS and provide continuous care and support.

Background: Infertility can result in the emergence of depression and anger, the loss of one's identity, and the feeling of guilt in the infertile person. Present study aimed to investigate the effects of cognitive behavioural group therapy (CBGT) on infertile men's anger and positive and negative affect.

Materials and methods: Forty-three men with infertility for at least five years were selected for the present randomised clinical study. Spielberger's State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-II (STAXI-II) and the PANAS scale (positive and negative affect) were filled out by the participants, and they were randomly divided into the experimental (22) and control (21) groups. The experimental group received 18 ninety-minute sessions of hybrid group therapy held twice a week, while the control group received no intervention. When the intervention program was over, all participants performed the post-test. Moreover, the post-hoc stage was held two months later.

Results: The effects of the intervention were significant in terms of state anger, trait anger, anger expression in, anger expression out, positive effects, and negative effects (p < 0.004), but they were not significant concerning the anger control out index (p = 0.241). The significant differences between the two groups were also observed in the post-hoc stage.

Conclusions: The CBGT therapy seems to be helpful for infertile men to reduce their anger and negative affect and increase their positive affect by implementing a set of techniques like cognitive regeneration, assertiveness, daily joyful activities, exercises to relax one's muscles, diaphragm respiration, the identification of various fillings, and emotional expression.

Background: In vitro fertilisation is a stressful process for women. Hypnofertility is a method that can be used to relieve stress during in vitro fertilisation. It is based on an effective and strong body-mind interaction, as well as balancing the brain and body via positive words and thoughts.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of hypnofertility on fertility preparedness, stress, and coping with stress in women undergoing in vitro fertilisation.

Methods: This study was conducted with a randomised controlled trial design. Hypnofertility-based relaxation, visualisation, imagination, and affirmation techniques were applied to the intervention group at four stages, and no initiative was applied to the women in the control group. The Clinical Trial Registration number of the study is NCT04755270.

Results: After the hypnofertility method, the mean score of the intervention group in the positive feelings and thoughts subscale of the Fertility Preparedness Scale was higher than that of the control group (p < 0.05). The hypnofertility method caused a significant decrease in the level of infertility stress in the intervention group, and the intervention group used the active-confronting and passive-avoidance methods more than control group did (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: The hypnofertility method increased the levels of preparedness for fertility, reduced stress levels and provided effective strategies to cope with stress.

Objectives: To investigate prospectively the impact of physical activity during pregnancy on infant neurodevelopment, considering relevant confounding factors, physical activity intensity and the trimester of pregnancy in which it is performed.

Methods: Prospective follow-up study of 791 pregnant women from the first trimester of pregnancy to 40 days postpartum. Three intensity levels of physical activity were assessed in each trimester of pregnancy by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Infant neuro development was assessed at 40 days postpartum by the third edition of the Bayley Scales for Infant Development-Third Edition (BSID-III). Analysis adjusted by sociodemographics, anxiety symptoms, lifestyle habits, quality of diet, body mass index, postpartum depressive symptoms and mother-infant attachment.

Results: ANCOVA analysis have shown that 40 days old infants of mothers in the moderate and high PA groups in the third trimester obtained 3.2 and 3.8 points higher scores respectively in the language total scale; and 4.1 and 5.1 points higher scores respectively in the motor total scale than infants of mothers in the low PAgroup.

Conclusion: Moderate to high intensity physical activity during pregnancy has a positive impact on infant neurodevelopment. More specific recommendations must be incorporated in international guidelines and into maternal education sessions to improve infants' neurodevelopment.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to abrupt changes in maternity care, but the impact of these changes has not yet been deeply evaluated. This study aimed to assess the impact of the unexpected changes in maternity care due to the COVID-19 pandemic on postpartum mental health (depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder).

Methods: A cross-sectional, web-based study was conducted in Spain during the second half of 2020. The eligibility criteria were women≥18 years with a child≤6 months. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Screener (GAD-7) and a subset of the PTSD checklist (PCL-5) were used to assess postpartum mental health. Information regarding sociodemographic characteristics and maternity care changes was collected, and multivariate regression models were used.

Results: Among 1781 participants, 29.3% and 33% had clinically significant depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively. The most prevalent unexpected changes reported were related to the exclusion of supportive relatives during birth and postpartum. Changes reported during birth showed a minor association with PTSD symptomatology, and those that occurred during the postpartum period were associated with clinical depression, anxiety and PTSD symptoms.

Conclusions: The unexpected changes in maternity care due to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially those that occurred during the postpartum period, increased the risk of mental health problems.