Hopkins J, Miller JL, Butler K, Gibson L, Hedrick L, Boyle DA. The relation between social support, anxiety and distress symptoms and maternal fetal attachment.
J Reprod Infant Psychol 2018;
36:381-392. [PMID:
29727202 DOI:
10.1080/02646838.2018.1466385]
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE
The aims of this study were to: (1) examine the relation between social support, trait anxiety, symptoms of maternal distress (including stress, depression and anxiety) and maternal-fetal attachment; and (2) to determine if social support buffers the relation between trait anxiety, symptoms of distress and maternal-fetal attachment.
DESIGN
Ninety-four pregnant women completed five self-report questions. Two hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to examine the influence of trait anxiety, symptoms of distress, and social support on two factors of maternal-fetal attachment, quality and intensity/frequency.
RESULTS
In the first model with the dependent measure as the maternal-fetal attachment quality score, trait anxiety (β = -.24, p < .05) and social support (β = .30, p < .01) were significant predictors, accounting for 18% of the variance. In the second model with the dependent measure as the maternal-fetal attachment intensity/frequency score, trait anxiety (β = -.23, p < .05) and social support (β = .32, p < .01) were significant predictors, accounting for 23% of the variance. In addition, the interaction term contributed a significant 4% of the variance, indicating that when social support is high, the relation between anxiety and maternal-fetal attachment intensity/frequency is attenuated.
CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates that prenatal attachment is related to trait anxiety and social support. These findings suggest that interventions to decrease anxiety and increase social support could enhance maternal-fetal attachment.
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