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Parental Psychological Distress and Confidence After an Infant’s Birth: The Role of Attachment Representations in Parents of Infants with Congenital Anomalies and Parents of Healthy Infants

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Abstract

The present study aimed to examine parental psychological distress and confidence after an infant’s birth, when parenting an infant with a diagnosis of a congenital anomaly, and to understand the role of attachment representations on parental adjustment. Parents of infants with a congenital anomaly (44 couples) and parents of healthy infants (46 couples) completed measures of adult attachment representations and of psychological distress and parental confidence (one month after the infant’s birth). Results showed no group differences in psychological distress. Mothers in the clinical group presented lower confidence than mothers in the comparison group, while for fathers the inverse pattern was found, showing their involvement in the caretaking of the infant. Insecure attachment representations predicted parental psychological distress, and a moderator role of group was found only for fathers. These results highlight the role of secure attachment representations as an individual resource in stress-inducing situations.

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Acknowledgments

This study is part of the “Reproductive decisions and transition to parenthood after a pre- or postnatal diagnosis of congenital anomaly” research project, integrated in the Relationships, Development and Health Research Group of the R&D Unit Institute of Cognitive Psychology, Vocational and Social Development of the University of Coimbra (PEst-OE/PSI/UI0192/2011). Ana Fonseca and Bárbara Nazaré are supported by PhD Scholarships from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (SFRH/BD/47053/2008, SFRH/BD/43204/2008, respectively). The authors wish to thank the services that enabled the sample collection: Pediatric Cardiology Service of the Pediatric Hospital—Centro Hospitalar de Coimbra (parents of babies with congenital heart disease) and the Obstetrics and Neonatology Departments—Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra (the remaining participants from the clinical and comparison groups).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

    Ana Fonseca, Bárbara Nazaré & Maria Cristina Canavarro

  2. Grupo de investigação “Relações, Desenvolvimento & Saúde”, Rua do Colégio Novo, Apartado 6153, 3001-802, Coimbra, Portugal

    Ana Fonseca

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  1. Ana Fonseca
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Correspondence to Ana Fonseca.

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Fonseca, A., Nazaré, B. & Canavarro, M.C. Parental Psychological Distress and Confidence After an Infant’s Birth: The Role of Attachment Representations in Parents of Infants with Congenital Anomalies and Parents of Healthy Infants. J Clin Psychol Med Settings 20, 143–155 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-012-9329-9

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