Transitioning to parenthood during the pandemic: COVID-19 related stressors and first-time expectant mothers’ mental health

McMillan, I. F.; Armstrong, L. M.; Langhinrichsen-Rohling, J.

The transition to parenthood represents a major life event for expectant parents, influencing personal and relational well-being. Unfortunately, the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may undermine first-time expectant mothers’ emotional health as elevated rates of depression, stress, and anxiety have been noted (Rajkumar, 2020). Thus, the current study was conducted to (a) describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on first-time expectant mothers’ pregnancy, prenatal care, internal/dyadic and external experiences, (b) investigate the impact of pregnancy-related, internal/dyadic, and external COVID-19 changes on first-time mothers’ mental health (i.e., depression, stress, and anxiety symptoms), and (c) explore whether COVID-related internal/dyadic stressors predicted worse mental health among expectant mothers, above and beyond their general marital satisfaction. Forty-nine first-time, expectant U.S. mothers (Mage = 29.0 years, SD = 3.1) participated via Amazon MTurk between June and July 2020;each completed an online survey about their pandemic prenatal care, delivery plans, current mental health, and relationship. Most expectant mothers (82%) reported distress due to COVID-related prenatal care changes. Additionally, pandemic-related increases in alcohol use, intimate partner violence, and external demands (i.e., caring for someone infected with COVID-19), generally predicted worse mental health for first-time expectant mothers. The effects of increased alcohol use and intimate partner violence on maternal mental health remained, even after accounting for overall marital satisfaction. Conversely, having to isolate or quarantine due to exposure predicted reduced maternal stress. Results underscore the need to provide supports that promote the emotional health of first-time pregnant women and encourage healthy coping with the diverse pandemic-related experiences faced by expectant couples. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) © 2021 American Psychological Association