Top

Journal of Happiness Studies

Published in:

27-08-2018 | Research Paper

Personal Growth 4 Years After Premature Childbirth: The Role of Change in Maternal Mental Health

Authors: Ginna Porat-Zyman, Orit Taubman – Ben-Ari, Jacob Kuint, Iris Morag

Published in: Journal of Happiness Studies | Issue 6/2019

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config

AI-assisted search

Off

Abstract

Using a longitudinal design, the current study aimed to extend previous research by exploring three questions concerning the mechanism underlying the process of mothers’ personal growth in the aftermath of a premature birth: Are the positive changes reported previously by women who gave birth prematurely long-lasting and salient 4 years post-partum? Does the degree of change in maternal mental health over time predict personal growth 4 years after childbirth? Does the change in maternal mental health mediate between premature birth and personal growth 4 years later? Mental health was examined in four assessment waves: 1 month, and 1, 2, and 4 years after childbirth. Personal growth was tapped in the last wave. Data were collected from 561 Israeli mothers. The findings reveal that mothers who gave birth prematurely report higher personal growth 4 years after childbirth than mothers who delivered at full-term. Moreover, higher initial mental health and greater improvement in mental health over time predicted higher personal growth. In addition, the higher personal growth shown by women who gave birth prematurely was explained by their greater improvement in mental health over time than women who delivered at full-term. Finally, more highly educated and multiparous women reported an increase in mental health over time, which, in turn was associated with higher personal growth. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.

previous article Income Inequality, Life Satisfaction Inequality and Trust: A Cross Country Panel Analysis

next article Personal Sense of Uniqueness Mediates the Relationship Between Compassion for Others and Subjective Well-Being

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

über 102.000 Bücher
über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

Automobil + Motoren
Bauwesen + Immobilien
Business IT + Informatik
Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
Finance + Banking
Management + Führung
Marketing + Vertrieb
Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

über 67.000 Bücher
über 340 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

Bauwesen + Immobilien
Business IT + Informatik
Finance + Banking
Management + Führung
Marketing + Vertrieb
Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

Aldwin, C. M., & Levenson, M. R. (2004). Posttraumatic growth: A developmental perspective. Psychological Inquiry, 15, 19–92.CrossRef

Barr, P. (2011). Posttraumatic growth in parents of infants hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 16, 134–2011.CrossRef

Barskova, T., & Oesterreich, R. (2009). Post-traumatic growth in people living with a serious medical condition and its relations to physical and mental health. Disability and Rehabilitation, 31, 1709–1733.CrossRef

Baum, N., Weidberg, Z., Osher, Y., & Kohelet, D. (2012). No longer pregnant, not yet a mother: Giving birth prematurely to a very-low-birth-weight baby. Qualitative Health Research, 22, 595–606.CrossRef

Bollen, K. A., & Curran, P. J. (2006). Latent curve models: A structural equation perspective. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Brandon, D. H., Tully, K. P., Silva, S. G., Malcolm, W. F., Murtha, A. P., Turners, B. S., et al. (2011). Emotional response of mothers of late-preterm and term infants. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, 40, 719–731.CrossRef

Burchinal, M., Nelson, L., & Poe, M. (2006). Growth curve analysis: An introduction to various methods for analyzing longitudinal data. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 71, 65–87.

Calhoun, L. G., Cann, A., Tedeschi, R. G., & McMillan, J. (2000). A correlational test of the relationship between posttraumatic growth, religion, and cognitive processing. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 13, 521–527.CrossRef

Cowan, P. A., & Cowan, C. P. (2000). When partners become parents: The big life change for couples. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Danhauer, S. C., Case, L. D., Tedeschi, R., Russell, G., Vishnevsky, T., Triplett, K., et al. (2013). Predictors of posttraumatic growth in women with breast cancer. Psycho-Oncology, 22, 2676–2683.CrossRef

Davis, L., Edwards, H., Mohay, H., & Wollin, J. (2003). The impact of very premature birth on the psychological health of mothers. Early Human Development, 73, 61–70.CrossRef

Dekel, S., Ein-Dor, T., & Solomon, Z. (2012). Posttraumatic growth and posttraumatic distress: A longitudinal study. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 4, 94–101.CrossRef

Enders, C. K. (2010). Applied missing data analysis. London: Guilford.

Goldberg, D., & DiVitto, B. (2002). Parenting children born preterm. In M. H. Bornstein (Ed.), Handbook of parenting (pp. 329–354). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Goodman, S. H., Rouse, M. H., Connell, A. M., Robbins Broth, M., Hall, C. M., & Heyward, D. (2011). Maternal depression and child psychopathology: A meta-analytic review. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 14, 1–27.CrossRef

Grouleau, J. M., Calhoun, L. G., & Tedeschi, R. G. (2013). The role of centrality of events in posttraumatic distress and posttraumatic growth. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 5, 477–483.CrossRef

Helgeson, V. S., Reynolds, K. A., & Tomich, P. L. (2006). A meta-analytic review of benefit finding and growth. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74, 797–816.CrossRef

Johnson, S. F., & Boals, A. (2015). Refining or ability to measure posttraumatic growth. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 7, 422–429.CrossRef

Joseph, L. (2012). What doesn’t kill us: The new psychology of posttraumatic growth. New York: Perseus Group.

Lupton, D., & Fenwick, J. (2001). “They’ve forgotten that I’m a mum”: Constructing and practicing motherhood in special care nurseries. Social Sciences & Medicine, 53, 1011–1021.CrossRef

McFarland, C., & Alvaro, C. (2000). The impact of motivation on temporal comparisons: Coping with traumatic events by perceiving personal growth. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70, 327–343.CrossRef

Noy, A., Taubman – Ben-Ari, O., & Kuint, J. (2015). Well-being and personal growth in mothers of full-term and pre-term singletons and twins. Stress and Health, 31, 365–372.CrossRef

Park, C. L. (2004). The notion of growth following stressful life experiences: Problems and prospective. Psychological Inquiry, 15, 69–76.

Poehlmann, J., Schwichtenberg, M., Bolt, D., & Dilworth-Bart, J. (2009). Predictors of depressive symptom trajectories in mothers of preterm or low birth weight infants. Journal of Family Psychology, 23, 690–704.CrossRef

Porat-Zyman, G., Taubman – Ben-Ari, O., Morag, I., & Kuint. J. (2018). Maternal mental health over the course of four years following childbirth: The contribution of birth circumstances and psycho-social factors. Women & Health, 58, 72–91. CrossRef

Porat-Zyman, G., Taubman – Ben-Ari, O., & Spielman, V. (2017). Dyadic transition to parenthood: A longitudinal assessment of personal growth among parents of pre- and full-term infants. Stress & Health, 33, 24–34.CrossRef

Rozen, G., Taubman – Ben-Ari, O., Strauss, T., & Morag, I. (2017). Personal growth of mothers of preterms: Objective severity of the event, subjective stress, personal resources, and maternal emotional support. Journal of Happiness Studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-017-9915-5

Sawyer, A., & Ayers, S. (2009). Post-traumatic growth in women after childbirth. Psychology and Health, 24, 457–471.CrossRef

Sawyer, A., Ayers, S., & Field, A. P. (2010). Posttraumatic growth and adjustment among individuals with cancer or HIV/AIDS: A meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 30, 436–447.CrossRef

Sawyer, A., Ayers, S., Young, D., Bradley, R., & Smith, H. (2012). Posttraumatic growth after childbirth: A prospective study. Psychology and Health, 27, 362–377.CrossRef

Selig, J. P., & Preacher, K. J. (2009). Mediation models for longitudinal data in developmental research. Research in Human Development, 6, 144–164.CrossRef

Shakespeare-Finch, J., & Enders, T. (2008). Corroborating evidence of posttraumatic growth. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 21, 421–424.CrossRef

Spielman, V., & Taubman – Ben-Ari, O. (2009). Parental self-efficacy and personal growth in the transition to parenthood: A comparison between parents of premature and full-term babies. Health and Social Work, 34, 201–222.CrossRef

Spinelli, M., Frigerio, A., Montali, L., Fasolo, M., Spada, M. S., & Mangili, G. (2016). “I still have difficulties feeling like a mother”: The transition to motherhood of preterm infants mothers. Psychology & Health, 31, 184–204.CrossRef

Taubman – Ben-Ari, O. (2012). Becoming and developing: Personal growth in the wake of parenthood and grandparenthood. In P. R. Shaver & M. Mikulincer (Eds.), Meaning, mortality, and choice: The social psychology of existential concerns. Washington, D.C.: APA.

Taubman – Ben-Ari, O., Ben Shlomo, S., & Findler, L. (2012). Personal growth and meaning in life among first-time mothers and grandmothers. Journal of Happiness Studies, 13, 801–820.CrossRef

Taubman – Ben-Ari, O., Findler, L., & Kuint, J. (2010). Personal growth in the wake of stress: The case of mothers of pre-term twins. The Journal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied, 144, 185–204.CrossRef

Taubman – Ben-Ari, O., Findler, L., & Sharon, N. (2011). Personal growth in mothers: Examination of the suitability of the posttraumatic growth inventory as a measurement tool. Women and Health, 51, 604–622.CrossRef

Taubman – Ben-Ari, O., & Spielman, V. (2014). Personal growth of parents two years after the birth of the first child: A comparison of parents of pre- and full-term babies. Social Work Research, 38, 91–106.CrossRef

Tedeschi, R. G., & Calhoun, L. G. (1996). The posttraumatic growth inventory: Measuring the positive legacy of trauma. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 9, 455–471.CrossRef

Tedeschi, R. G., & Calhoun, L. G. (2004). Posttraumatic growth: Conceptual foundations and empirical evidence. Psychological Inquiry, 15, 1–18.CrossRef

Triplett, K. N., Tedeschi, R. G., Cann, A., Calhoun, L. G., & Reeve, C. L. (2012). Posttraumatic growth, meaning in life, and life satisfaction in response to trauma. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 4, 400–410.CrossRef

Veit, C. T., & Ware, E. (1983). The structure of psychological stress and well-being in general populations. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 51, 730–742.CrossRef

Vigod, S., Villegas, L., Dennis, C.-L., & Ross, L. (2010). Prevalence and risk factors for postpartum depression among women with preterm and low-birth-weight infants: A systematic review. BGOG, 117, 540–550.

Wang, J., & Wang, X. (2012). Structural equation modeling applications using Mplus. West Sussex: Higher Education.CrossRef

Wu, Y. P., Selig, J. P., Roberts, M. C., & Steele, R. G. (2011). Trajectories of postpartum maternal depressive symptoms and children’s social skills. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 20, 414–423.CrossRef

Title: Personal Growth 4 Years After Premature Childbirth: The Role of Change in Maternal Mental Health
Authors: Ginna Porat-Zyman
Orit Taubman – Ben-Ari
Jacob Kuint
Iris Morag
Publication date: 27-08-2018
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Published in: Journal of Happiness Studies / Issue 6/2019
Print ISSN: 1389-4978
Electronic ISSN: 1573-7780
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-018-0012-1

Springer Professional

Abstract

Please log in to get access to your license.

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

Other articles of this Issue 6/2019

Perceived Religious Discrimination, Religiosity, and Life Satisfaction

Marriage and Happiness: Evidence from Taiwan

Psychological Maturity Predicts Different Forms of Happiness

Income Inequality, Life Satisfaction Inequality and Trust: A Cross Country Panel Analysis

Examining the Mediating Roles of Strengths Knowledge and Strengths Use in a 1-Year Single-Session Character Strength-Based Cognitive Intervention

Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) as a Positive Psychological Intervention: A Systematic Review and Initial Meta-analysis Regarding ACT’s Role in Well-Being Promotion Among University Students