A critical need for the concept of matrescence in perinatal psychiatry.

The concept of matrescence, akin to adolescence but for mothers, has gained increasing attention in perinatal psychiatry, marking a paradigm shift towards understanding the holistic development of mothers. Matrescence encompasses the myriad psychological, social, cultural, and existential changes which occur as women transition into motherhood. Despite advances in maternal mental health, a bias towards pathologizing maternal experiences persists in research and practice. This commentary advocates for the integration of matrescence into perinatal psychiatry, drawing from the work of Dana Raphael and contemporary scholarship. Matrescence offers a strengths-based framework that acknowledges both the challenges and opportunities of motherhood, emphasizing the normative aspects of a mother's self-development. By adopting matrescence terminology and nosology, clinicians and researchers can enhance traditional psychiatric classifications. Additionally, matrescence underscores the importance of considering ecological systems and historical factors in maternal well-being, highlighting the need for comprehensive and compassionate healthcare services. Embracing matrescence as a fundamental concept in perinatal psychiatry holds promise for improving maternal mental health outcomes and promoting the flourishing of mothers worldwide.

Inner Peace in a Global Crisis: A Case Study of Supported Spiritual Individuation in Acute Onset Phase of COVID-19.

Emerging-adult undergraduates (ages 18-25) are at increased risk for mental illness, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Simultaneously, emerging adults face developmental tasks including identity development, finding meaning and purpose, and spiritual individuation. A case study approach is used to elucidate processes of undergraduates coping with collective trauma as a potential pathway to trauma-related spiritual growth via Awakened Awareness for Adolescents (AA-A) and emerging adults, a spiritual-mind-body wellness intervention. Awakened Awareness for Adolescents fosters enhanced spiritual perception to support spiritual individuation for improved mental health and well-being. Processes of spiritual individuation supported by AA-A during the COVID-19 pandemic from February to May 2020 are presented using students' qualitative data and self-report measures of psychopathology, spiritual well-being, emotional regulation, and cognition. Shared cohort (N = 15) themes and one in-depth case (1) reveal ideographic processes of personal transformation and spiritual growth, (2) generate hypotheses around pathways of trauma-related spiritual growth and spiritual individuation for future research.

Reproductive identity: An emerging concept.

Deciding whether or not to become a parent is a developmental milestone in the adult life course yet the specific term of reproductive identity is not commonplace. Significant demographic shifts in fertility and the social ideals of self-realization have impacted how reproduction is performed and families are structured, particularly for women and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and Asexual (LGBTQIA) communities. Like gender and sexuality, reproduction is a healthy aspect of human expression to be openly explored, destigmatized, and self-authored. This article will review relevant identity development theories and propose a preliminary definition for the emerging concept of reproductive identity. Implications for research, education, and counseling will be considered. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).