Trajectories of Personal Growth among First-Time Parents: The Predicting Role of Coping Flexibility and Parental Distress

Objectives

The study aimed to identify different trajectories of personal growth (PG) following the transition to parenthood, as well as factors that predict these trajectories.

Method

Parents (n = 788) completed self-report questionnaires in three phases: when infants were 3–12 months-old, six months later and again six months later. Latent Class Growth Analyses (LCGA) and Growth Mixture Modeling (GMM) were used to identify latent subgroups of individuals based on common trajectories of PG. Stepwise multinominal regression models were used to identify significant determinants of personal growth trajectories.

Results

Four trajectories were found: (1) constructive; (2) high-stable; (3) low-stable; and (4) moderately delayed. Being a woman and higher coping versatility were related to the high-stable trajectory, higher economic status was related to the low-stable trajectory, and higher parental distress was related to the moderately-delayed trajectory.

Conclusions

The study offers insights into growth in first-time parents of young infants by distinguishing between four trajectories and showing that economic status, as well as the psychological variables of parental distress and coping flexibility, might differentiate between different growth patterns. The results contribute to the theoretical understanding of the complex experience of personal growth, which, in turn, can serve professionals in the design of appropriate personalized interventions for new parents.