The effect of the loss of one's own parent on the change in personal growth during the transition to parenthood: An individual growth curve model.

The study aimed to identify contributors to the trajectory of personal growth (PG) during the transition to parenthood against the background of a critical life event that occurred previously, namely, losing a parent. The study examined the contributions of the loss of one's own parent, the bond with one's parents in childhood, current parental distress (PD), and demographic variables to changes in the PG of adults when they themselves become parents. New Israeli parents completed self-report questionnaires in three phases: (a) up to 1 year following the birth of their first child (n = 2,182), (b) 6 months later (n = 1,045), (c) after another 6 months (n = 811). Our key findings showed that parental loss was not directly associated with changes in PG, but changes in PD mediated the associations between both loss and parental bonding on the one hand and the changes in PG on the other. Increase in PG levels over time was associated with being a woman, lower level of education and economic status, higher perceived paternal care, and higher maternal overprotection in childhood and decrease in PD. The present study extends knowledge of PG during the transition to parenthood, indicating that it may be shaped by changes in PD levels and the relationships with one's own parents. On the practical level, understanding the consequences for the trajectory of PG of having lost a parent and the nature of their bonding with their parents in childhood can help professionals design appropriate interventions for new parents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

COVID-19-related anxieties in first-time mothers during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and after 6 months: A descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: The changes accompanying the transition to motherhood, joined by the stress aroused by the COVID-19 pandemic, may lead to high levels of parental anxieties. This study, conducted in two phases-in the midst of the first wave of the pandemic and after six months-explores differences in the level of COVID-19-related anxieties of Israeli mothers in their first year of parenthood. DESIGN AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study carried out with 198 first-time mothers aged 22-48 who completed self-report questionnaires on April 2020 and again on October 2020. The questionnaire was distributed through social networks and included a demographic scale and the COVID-19-related anxieties questionnaire. FINDINGS: In the first phase, mothers reported higher anxieties concerning economic damage (M = 3.42; 3.11), being in public places (M = 4.34; M = 3.51), using public transportation (M = 4.80; M = 4.31), and going for infant checkups (M = 4.13; M = 3.06). In the second phase, mothers reported higher anxiety about being infected (M = 3.19; M = 3.48). DISCUSSION: The results suggest the need to be attentive to the double stress of new mothers in a dynamic time of crisis, especially at the beginning of the crisis when anxiety levels may be highest. APPLICATION TO PRACTICE: The findings may aid in developing interventions for new mothers in times of crisis. The finding that the COVID-19-related anxieties of new mothers may decrease over time points to the urgency of making interventions by health and medical professionals available to women in the first months after the birth of their first child.

COVID-19-Related anxieties and parenting stress among first-time mothers and fathers in their first year of parenthood.

INTRODUCTION: The changes accompanying the transition to parenthood, joined by the fears aroused by the COVID-19 pandemic, may lead to high levels of parental anxieties and stress, particularly among parents of young infants. This study, conducted in the midst of the crisis, explores the level of COVID-19-related anxieties and parenting stress of Israeli parents in their first year of parenthood. METHODS: First-time mothers (n = 469) and fathers (n = 137), aged 21-50, completed self-report questionnaires in April, 2020. They were divided into two groups: parents of younger infants (aged 3-6 months); parents of older infants (aged 7-12 months). RESULTS: The levels of all COVID-19-related anxieties were quite high, with the greatest concern aroused by public transportation and public places, followed by concerns over the possible infection of family members and the infant, going for infant check-ups, getting the virus themselves, and the health of the infant. In both groups, mothers reported higher COVID-19-related anxieties than fathers. Fathers of older infants reported higher parenting stress than mothers. DISCUSSION: The results highlight the need to be attentive to the double stress of new parents in the first year of parenthood in a time of crisis, and to the potentially greater vulnerability of fathers of older infants.

Parenthood in the shadow of COVID-19: The contribution of gender, personal resources and anxiety to first time parents' perceptions of the infant.

We sought to examine new parents' perceptions of their infant during the worldwide spread of COVID-19, exploring the contribution of gender, personal resources (attachment orientation, presence of meaning in life and intolerance of uncertainty) and COVID-19-related anxieties. A convenience sample of 606 Israeli first-time parents (137 fathers and 469 mothers), whose child was 3-12 months old, was recruited through social media during April 2020. Findings indicate that being a woman, younger age, lower education, better physical health, older infant's age, lower attachment anxiety, higher presence of meaning in life and greater COVID-19-related anxiety over the infant's health contributed significantly to a greater perception of infant's warmth; being a father, higher education and economic status, poorer physical health, higher attachment anxiety and intolerance of uncertainty and less presence of meaning in life contributed significantly to a greater perception of infant's invasiveness. Gender moderated the associations between the personal resources and infant's perception, and both the presence of meaning in life and intolerance of uncertainty mediated the associations between COVID-19-related anxieties and parent's perception of the infant. The findings reveal the crucial contribution of gender, and both risk and resilience factors, to the parent's perception of the infant in the shadow of COVID-19.

Parenting stress among new parents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The outbreak of COVID-19 has forced parents to deal with a challenging crisis, which may have increased their stress levels, negatively affecting their parenting and putting their infants at risk of abuse. OBJECTIVE: To examine the contribution of the pandemic to parenting stress, exploring differences in parenting stress among new parents before and during the crisis, the role of background and personal variables, and the possibility that the study phase moderated the associations of gender and personal resources with parenting stress. METHOD: Israeli parents (n = 1591) whose first child was 3-12 months old were recruited twice through social media: in 2019, before the spread of COVID-19 (n = 985); and in March 2020, during the pandemic (n = 606). RESULTS: Sociodemographic variables, perception of the childbirth as traumatic, lower meaning in life, higher search for meaning, less marital satisfaction, and study phase all contributed to greater parenting stress. In addition, the association between gender and stress was moderated by study phase, with fathers reporting a greater increase in stress during the pandemic. Moreover, only during the pandemic did fathers report higher parenting stress than mothers. CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the vulnerability of new parents of young infants to parenting stress during the crisis, and the special attention which should be paid to fathers. They indicate the value of strengthening meaning in life and preserving good marital relationships as resources that help to cope with the heightened parenting stress at this time.

Meaning in Life among New Mothers before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Mothers' Marital Satisfaction and Perception of the Infant.

On the assumption that existential questions may arise in the face of the transition to motherhood in the shadow of a global crisis, we sought to compare the levels of presence of meaning and search for meaning in life between two samples of new mothers: one recruited before the outbreak of COVID-19, and the other during the pandemic. In addition, we examined the associations between mother's marital satisfaction and perception of the infant on the one hand, and the two aspects of meaning in life on the other, investigating whether these variables mediate the link between research group and meaning in life. The results indicate that mothers reported significantly higher perception of infant's warmth and presence of meaning before than during the pandemic. Furthermore, they displayed greater marital satisfaction and more search for meaning during the pandemic than prior to it. For the whole sample, higher marital satisfaction and perception of infant's warmth were related to higher presence of meaning, and lower marital satisfaction and perception of the infant's invasiveness were related to higher search for meaning. Finally, mother's marital satisfaction and perception of the infant fully mediated the relationship between the research group and the two aspects of meaning in life. These findings are significant in that they provide, for the first time, evidence of changes in meaning in life among new mothers in a crisis situation, along with the importance of their perceptions of their relationships with the infant and spouse under these circumstances.

Personal growth in the transition to parenthood following recent parental loss.

OBJECTIVE: Although the factors associated with personal growth (PG) in the transition to parenthood have been studied in recent years, the impact of a previous stressful event has been rarely considered. This study explores the possibility that parents who lost their own parent in the years leading up to the birth of their first child will report enhanced PG. It examines the unique and combined contribution to PG in the transition to parenthood of recent parental loss, as well as the bond with the parents, the internal resource of meaning in life, and basic demographic variables. METHOD: Self-report questionnaires were completed by 224 Israeli parents up to 1 year following the birth of their first child. Of these, 112 had lost one of their parents during the past 7 years and 112 had not. RESULTS: Hierarchical regression revealed that the recent loss of a parent contributed significantly to greater PG. In addition, higher PG was associated with younger age, higher presence of meaning in life, search for meaning, and perceived maternal care, and lower paternal overprotection. CONCLUSIONS: The study extends knowledge of PG among new parents, indicating that it may be related to the parent's personal circumstances, and specifically to a previous stressful event in their lives, and their relationships with their own parents. On the practical level, understanding the consequences of parental loss for PG in the transition to parenthood can help professionals develop specially designed interventions for new parents who have recently lost a parent. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Distress and apprehension among new parents during the COVID-19 pandemic: The contribution of personal resources.

The study examined parental distress and apprehension about raising an infant during the COVID-19 pandemic among new Israeli parents, investigating the role of personal resources (low attachment avoidance and anxiety, high self-mastery) and various COVID-19-related anxieties and comparing mothers and fathers. A convenience sample of 606 Israeli parents (469 mothers and 137 fathers) whose first child was 3-12 months old was recruited through social media. No significant differences emerged between mothers and fathers in level of parental distress or apprehension. Poorer health, higher attachment avoidance and anxiety, lower self-mastery, and a higher level of COVID-19-related anxiety over going for infant health checkups contributed significantly to greater parental distress. Lower level of education, being a woman, higher attachment avoidance and anxiety, and higher levels of all COVID-19-related anxieties contributed significantly to greater pandemic-related apprehension. The findings show that new parents may experience parental distress and concerns about raising a child during the crisis, and that whereas specific COVID-19-anxieties are unrelated to global parental distress, they are linked to the apprehension aroused by the pandemic. Moreover, they highlight the contribution of parents' personal resources, showing that lower attachment avoidance and anxiety are associated with lower distress and apprehension, whereas self-mastery is especially significant for lessening the apprehension about raising an infant in this period. These insights may be used in targeted interventions to reduce distress in vulnerable populations, such as individuals who recently became parents for the first time. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).