The effects of pre- and post-partum depression on child behavior and psychological development from birth to pre-school age : a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Pre- and post-partum depression is a common mood disorder with detrimental effects on both mother and child. The aim of the proposed review is to summarize evidence related to the effects of both pre- and post-partum depression on child behavior and development from birth to preschool age. In particular, our review will address mutual relations between pre- and post-partum depression in order to determine whether pre- and post-partum depression predict child psychological outcomes independently, whether there is an effect of timing of depression on child outcomes, whether pre- and post-partum depression interact to affect child outcomes, and whether the effect of pre-partum depression is mediated by depression after child's birth. Methods: We will include prospective longitudinal studies that report data about the effects of both pre- and post-partum depression on child psychological outcomes as published in peer-reviewed academic journals since January 1998. We will search EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, ISI Web of Science, Scopus, and Wiley Online databases to identify original research articles written in English. Two independent reviewers will screen search results in two stages: (i) titles and abstracts and (ii) full text. The first one will extract data into tables, while the latter will verify whether the data extracted are correct. We will assess the risk of bias in the selected studies using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP), Cohort Study Checklist. The results of the review will be reported in a narrative form. If there are sufficient data available, a meta-analysis will be conducted using metaSEM package in R. Discussion: The proposed review will be the first systematic review summarizing the effects of both pre- and post-partum depression on child psychological development and behavior from birth to preschool age. The results of such a review may contribute to a better understanding of mutual relations between pre- and post-partum depression in their effects on child outcomes. They may also shed light on what periods in early human development are most vulnerable to the effects of maternal depression

Associations Between Mode of Birth and Neuropsychological Development in Children Aged 4 Years: Results from a Birth Cohort Study

The aim of this prospective longitudinal study was to examine the association between Cesarean section (CS) and child development and behavior. The sample consisted of 256 children who were born at term without serious perinatal pathologies. Their development and behavior was assessed at the age of four using Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3), Children’s Behavior Questionnaire and Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire. Multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to assess the association between CS and child outcomes. CS was associated with better scores in the Problem Solving domain of the ASQ in the whole sample. After stratifying by child sex, the positive association between CS and the Problem Solving domain was significant in boys, while no association was found in girls. Girls were rated less optimally in the Gross Motor domain of the ASQ when born via CS. Mode of birth was not associated with behavioral outcomes

Disgust sensitivity in early pregnancy as a response to high pathogen risk

IntroductionConsidered a part of the behavioral immune system (BIS), disgust sensitivity is expected to be adjusting as a response to the actual level of the environmental health risks.MethodsIn this preregistered study, we tested the hypothesis that disgust sensitivity would be higher during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period in pregnant women. In this between-subject study with a longitudinal trend design, we administered the Disgust Scale-Revised to 200 pregnant women before the pandemic and to 350 pregnant women during the pandemic.ResultsWe found a small but significant effect of the pandemic on disgust sensitivity, such that higher disgust sensitivity was found in women pregnant during the pandemic. This effect was stronger in primiparae, however, the interaction between parity and the pandemic period was not significant. Disgust sensitivity decreased with age. No differences in terms of nausea and vomiting were found between the women pregnant before and during the pandemic.DiscussionOur findings indicate that although BIS is presumed to function as a complex mechanism to prevent health-threatening behaviors, its activation in pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic is rather weak

Women's psychological experiences of physiological childbirth: a meta-synthesis

Objective: To synthesise qualitative studies on women's psychological experiences of physiological childbirth. Design: Meta-synthesis. Methods: Studies exploring women's psychological experiences of physiological birth using qualitative methods were eligible. The research group searched the following databases: MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, SocINDEX and Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection. We contacted the key authors searched reference lists of the collected articles. Quality assessment was done independently using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist. Studies were synthesised using techniques of meta-ethnography. Results: Eight studies involving 94 women were included. Three third order interpretations were identified: 'maintaining self-confidence in early labour', 'withdrawing within as labour intensifies' and 'the uniqueness of the birth experience'. Using the first, second and third order interpretations, a line of argument developed that demonstrated 'the empowering journey of giving birth' encompassing the various emotions, thoughts and behaviours that women experience during birth. Conclusion: Giving birth physiologically is an intense and transformative psychological experience that generates a sense of empowerment. The benefits of this process can be maximised through physical, emotional and social support for women, enhancing their belief in their ability to birth and not disturbing physiology unless it is necessary. Healthcare professionals need to take cognisance of the empowering effects of the psychological experience of physiological childbirth. Further research to validate the results from this study is necessary. PROSPERO registration number CRD4201603707

Women’s psychological experiences of physiological childbirth: a meta-synthesis

Objective To synthesise qualitative studies on women’s psychological experiences of physiological childbirth. Design Meta-synthesis. Methods Studies exploring women’s psychological experiences of physiological birth using qualitative methods were eligible. The research group searched the following databases: MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, SocINDEX and Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection. We contacted the key authors searched reference lists of the collected articles. Quality assessment was done independently using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist. Studies were synthesised using techniques of meta-ethnography. Results Eight studies involving 94 women were included. Three third order interpretations were identified: ‘maintaining self-confidence in early labour’, ‘withdrawing within as labour intensifies’ and ‘the uniqueness of the birth experience’. Using the first, second and third order interpretations, a line of argument developed that demonstrated ‘the empowering journey of giving birth’ encompassing the various emotions, thoughts and behaviours that women experience during birth. Conclusion Giving birth physiologically is an intense and transformative psychological experience that generates a sense of empowerment. The benefits of this process can be maximised through physical, emotional and social support for women, enhancing their belief in their ability to birth and not disturbing physiology unless it is necessary. Healthcare professionals need to take cognisance of the empowering effects of the psychological experience of physiological childbirth. Further research to validate the results from this study is necessary. PROSPERO registration number CRD42016037072

Psychosocial aspects of intrapartal and postpartal care

Title: Psychosocial aspects of intrapartum and postpartum care Author: Mgr. Lea Takács Department: Department of Psychology Supervisor: PhDr. Simona Hoskovcová, Ph.D. Consultant: MUDr. PhDr. Pavel Čepický, CSc. Abstract Background: Satisfaction with perinatal care is largely a result of psychosocial aspects of the care provided. However, despite a considerable body of research, the concept of satisfaction with perinatal care is not sufficiently defined and understood, being often confused with other concepts, particularly with that of satisfaction with childbirth experience. The lack of knowledge concerns especially the psychosocial dimensions and determinants of the care, most importantly for different groups of women, and the level of importance of psychosocial factors for satisfaction compared to biomedical variables. Objective: The aim of the present dissertation is to contribute to the theory of satisfaction by investigating the psychosocial and biomedical factors that affect satisfaction with perinatal care and satisfaction with childbirth experience in different groups of women depending on the mode of delivery (vaginal delivery, emergency caesarean section or elective caesarean section). Method: Ordinal logistic regression was used to identify the key predictors of satisfaction. The data were..

Psychosocial aspects of intrapartal and postpartal care

Title: Psychosocial aspects of intrapartum and postpartum care Author: Mgr. Lea Takács Department: Department of Psychology Supervisor: PhDr. Simona Hoskovcová, Ph.D. Consultant: MUDr. PhDr. Pavel Čepický, CSc. Abstract Background: Satisfaction with perinatal care is largely a result of psychosocial aspects of the care provided. However, despite a considerable body of research, the concept of satisfaction with perinatal care is not sufficiently defined and understood, being often confused with other concepts, particularly with that of satisfaction with childbirth experience. The lack of knowledge concerns especially the psychosocial dimensions and determinants of the care, most importantly for different groups of women, and the level of importance of psychosocial factors for satisfaction compared to biomedical variables. Objective: The aim of the present dissertation is to contribute to the theory of satisfaction by investigating the psychosocial and biomedical factors that affect satisfaction with perinatal care and satisfaction with childbirth experience in different groups of women depending on the mode of delivery (vaginal delivery, emergency caesarean section or elective caesarean section). Method: Ordinal logistic regression was used to identify the key predictors of satisfaction. The data were..

The psychosocial factors of perinatal care in relations with the patients' satisfaction, the conduct of delivery and the onset of lactation

The aim of this study is to explore the psychosocial aspects of care provided in maternity hospitals. The study is divided into three parts: i) the psychosocial aspects of care for parturients, ii) the psychosocial aspects of care for the newborn, and iii) the psychosomatic issues in obstetrics. Each part includes a review of the relevant literature and a presentation of the specific research carried out for the purpose of this thesis. The first part discusses the psychosocial competences of healthcare providers (social support, communication, providing of information, etc.), while subsequent research focuses on the psychosocial factors that influence parturients' satisfaction with perinatal care. The second part is devoted to psychological importance of birth experience for the newborn and early mother-child contact, psychosocial needs of the health-risk newborn and initiation of breastfeeding, with the research section containing the inquiry into the factors that may influence the start of breastfeeding. The last part of this study concentrates on the effects of psychological variables on the perception of pain and the course of labour. The review of the relevant literature is followed by presenting the research results that show the impact of psychosocial factors of perinatal care on selected..

Assessing longitudinal pathways between maternal depressive symptoms, parenting self-esteem and infant temperament.

BackgroundPrevious studies of relations between parenting self-concepts, parental adjustment and child temperament have been ambiguous regarding the direction of influence; and have rarely followed families from pregnancy through the first year of life. The current study examines change and stability in maternal depressive symptoms, parenting competences and child temperament through the perinatal period until nine months postpartum.MethodsCzech mothers (N = 282) participated at three time points: the third trimester of pregnancy (Time 1), six weeks (Time 2) and nine months postpartum (Time 3). Questionnaire data concerned depressive symptoms (T1, T2, T3), maternal parenting self-esteem (T1, T2) and sense of competence (T3), and child temperament (T2, T3). A path model was used to examine concurrent and longitudinal relations between these variables.ResultsThe analyses indicated longitudinal stability of all constructs, as well as concurrent relations between them. Longitudinal relations supported child-to-parent, rather than parent-to-child, effects: child difficult temperament predicted decreases in perceived maternal parenting competences, but maternal variables did not predict change in infant temperament. In addition, we observed weak mutual relations between maternal depression levels and parenting competences, such that maternal depression diminished perceived parenting competences that in turn contributed to higher levels of depression.ConclusionMothers' confidence in their ability to parent is influenced by their experience with a difficult infant and by their depressive symptoms during the child's first year of life. Depressive symptoms are, in turn, aggravated by mothers' low perceived competences in the parenting role

Expectancies of Success, Task Value, and Self-Regulation: A Typology of Achievement Motivation in Students of Education Based on a Cluster Analysis of the Achievement Motivation Inventory

Výkonová motivace představuje jeden z klíčových psychologických faktorů determinujících cíle, které si studující vysokých škol kladou, a tím i jejich úspěch ve studiu. V předkládané dotazníkové studii vycházíme ze současných koncepcí výkonové motivace, především z modelu očekávání a hodnoty. Na tomto teoretickém základě předpokládáme, že 1) studující VŠ je možno klasifikovat do různých motivačních typů na základě proměnných souvisejících s očekáváním úspěchu, vnímanou hodnotou výkonu a používanými seberegulačními strategiemi a 2) jejich příslušnost k různým typům výkonové motivace souvisí s různým výkonovým chováním. Celkem 158 studentů pedagogických oborů vyplnilo dotazníkovou baterii zahrnující vybrané škály Dotazníku motivace k výkonu (LMI) a Test úrovně aspirace jako indikátor tendence klást si výkonové cíle a vyrovnávat se s neúspěchem. Získané výsledky LMI škál jsme z pracovali prostřednictvím k-means klastrové analýz y, která ukázala čtyři klastry studujících: Motivovaný typ (38 % participantů), Typ bez důvěry (21 %), Typ bez zájmu (29 %) a Spontánní typ (12 %). Motivovaný typ vykazoval nejvyšší hodnoty ve většině zahrnutých škál výkonové motivace a nejvyšší úroveň aspirace. Typ bez důvěry se projevoval nízkou úrovní v dimenzích očekávání úspěchu a střední úrovní aspirace. Spontánní typ byl charakteristický nízkou úrovní seberegulace, Typ bez zájmu nízkou vnímanou hodnotou výkonu a oba typy souvisely s nejnižší aspirační úrovní. Tyto výsledky naznačují, že zvláště nízká úroveň seberegulace (Spontánní typ) a nízká vnímaná hodnota výkonu (Typ bez zájmu) může představovat překážku při stanovování přiměřeně obtížných cílů a zvládání neúspěchu a tím ohrožovat studijní úspěšnost studujících, kteří se vyznačují korespondujícími motivačními profily.Achievement motivation represents a psychological variable determining goal-directed behavior and, consequently, conditions for study success in university students. We base this questionnaire study on the expectancy-value model of achievement motivation and on other current approaches to achievement motivation. Within this framework, we expect that 1) students can be classified into different types depending on their expectancies of success, task value, and self-regulation and 2) students' membership in different types of achievement motivation relates to differences in achievement-oriented behavior. In total, 158 university students of education completed a questionnaire battery including selected scales from the Achievement Motivation Inventory (AMI) and the Test of Aspirations. We processed the included AMI scales by k-means cluster analysis, resulting in four clusters of students: Motivated type (38% of participants), Low-confidence type (21%), Low-interest type (29%), and Spontaneous type (12%). The Motivated type showed the highest levels in included motivational variables as well as the highest level of aspiration. The Low-confidence type was characterized by lower levels of expectancies of success and moderate levels of aspiration. The Spontaneous type showed lower levels of self-regulation and the Low-interest type showed lower achievement values; both these types were related to the lowest aspiration levels. The results suggest that especially lower levels of selfregulation (Spontaneous type) or task value (Low-interest type) may represent a barrier in setting appropriate goals and coping with failure that may negatively relate to the study success of students with corresponding motivational profiles