Risk perception and emotional coping: a pathway for behavioural addiction?

Maternal prenatal attachment during the COVID-19 pandemic: exploring the roles of pregnancy-related anxiety, risk perception, and well-being

Pregnant women have faced novel physical and mental health risks during the pandemic. This situation is remarkable because a parent's emotional bond with their unborn baby (also known as prenatal attachment) is related to the parent's mental state. Prenatal attachment helps parents psychologically prepare for the transition into parenthood. Moreover, it plays a pivotal role in the future parentchild relationship and psychosocial development of the baby. Based on the available literature, the current study integrated risk perception theories with mental health indicators to examine maternal prenatal attachment during the pandemic. Pregnant women (n = 258) completed the Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Questionnaire-Revision 2 (PRAQ-R2), the WHO Well-being Index (WHO-5), the Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI), and answered questions about COVID-19 risk perception. The findings illustrated that pregnancy-related anxiety was positively associated with maternal prenatal attachment. Moreover, COVID-19 risk perception and well-being mediated this relationship. In other words, the higher levels of pregnancy-related anxiety were associated with increased COVID-19 risk perception and decreased well-being, inhibiting prenatal attachment in pregnant women. Considering the importance of prenatal attachment, it is crucial to understand the experiences of pregnant women and develop policies for promoting prenatal attachment, especially during challenging times such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prenatal Attachment and Mental Well-Being Among Expectant Fathers Amidst COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant threats to global physical and mental health, notably impacting the psychological management of pregnancy. The mental health of parents plays a critical role in fostering the emotional bond with their unborn child, referred to as prenatal attachment. Despite the significance of this bond, research has primarily concentrated on maternal outcomes, often neglecting the paternal aspect during the pandemic. This study investigates the correlation between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) risk perception and paternal prenatal attachment, further exploring the mediating role of well-being within this association. Methods A total of 141 expectant fathers attending the gynecology and obstetrics outpatient clinic with their partners were recruited. Participants completed measures including the Paternal Antenatal Attachment Scale (PAAS), the World Health Organization Well-being Index (WHO-5), and the COVID-19 Perceived Risk Scale (CPRS). Results Data analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between COVID-19 risk perception and well-being (ß = -.34, p < .001). There was a positive correlation between well-being and prenatal attachment (ß = .37, p = .002). The prenatal attachment was also positively linked to COVID-19 risk perception (ß = .20, p = .047). Furthermore, well-being mediated the relationship between COVID-19 risk perception and prenatal attachment. Conclusion The findings underscore the potential of the COVID-19 risk perception to disrupt the prenatal attachment process for expectant fathers by interfering with psychological well-being. However, it can also promote prenatal attachment through various mechanisms. Consequently, acknowledging and understanding the experiences of fathers during pregnancy is of paramount importance. Future longitudinal studies are necessitated to examine the parent-child relationship dynamics that have evolved under the influence of the pandemic.

Diaphragmatic breathing during virtual reality exposure therapy for aviophobia: functional coping strategy or avoidance behavior? a pilot study

BACKGROUND

Although there is solid evidence for the efficacy of in vivo and virtual reality (VR) exposure therapy for a specific phobia, there is a significant debate over whether techniques promoting distraction or relaxation have impairing or enhancing effects on treatment outcome. In the present pilot study, we investigated the effect of diaphragmatic breathing (DB) as a relaxation technique during VR exposure treatment.

METHOD

Twenty-nine patients with aviophobia were randomly assigned to VR exposure treatment either with or without diaphragmatic breathing (six cycles per minute). Subjective fear ratings, heart rate and skin conductance were assessed as indicators of fear during both the exposure and the test session one week later.

RESULTS

The group that experienced VR exposure combined with diaphragmatic breathing showed a higher tendency to effectively overcome the fear of flying. Psychophysiological measures of fear decreased and self-efficacy increased in both groups with no significant difference between the groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate that diaphragmatic breathing during VR exposure does not interfere with the treatment outcome and may even enhance treatment effects of VR exposure therapy for aviophobic patients.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Retrospectively registered. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02990208 . Registered 07 December 2016.