The multifactorial decision to become a parent has mostly been investigated in mothers. It would seem that those who decide to have children in response to internal or external pressure, as compared with by pleasure or choice, have a less adaptive parenting experience. Guided by self-determination theory, the present study postulates that prenatal motivation to have a first child is associated for both mothers and fathers with postnatal parental satisfaction through basic psychological needs satisfaction. Results support the hypothesized mediational model and indicate that motivation to have a child significantly predicts parental satisfaction when basic psychological needs satisfaction is considered. The present study underlines the importance of basic psychological needs satisfaction for a positive parenting experience in both parents.

Self-compassion has been associated with several positive pain-related outcomes. However, little is known about the impact of targeting self-compassion on pain management. This study assesses the feasibility of a self-compassion psychoeducation website among adults with chronic pain using a minimally monitored delivery model. Participants (N = 26) were recruited online and a single group pre-test and post-test design with a 3-month follow-up was used. The intervention was a 6-week program comprised of a video, writing exercises, guided meditations and automated emails. Feasibility outcome measures were grouped into the following categories: study engagement (ease of recruitment, attrition, adherence, satisfaction), pain vulnerability variables (intensity, interference, catastrophizing, mood) and protective pain variables (self-compassion, resilience and acceptance). Challenges pertaining to uptake were encountered. Attrition was higher ( n = 11/26; 42%) and adherence to the full treatment protocol lower ( n = 6/26; 23%) than expected. Treatment satisfaction was high with nearly all study completers (93%) reporting that they would recommend the program to a friend. Intent-to-treat mixed effects models showed a significant and large increase of self-compassion ( d = 0.92) and a significant impact on several outcome variables ( ds from 0.24 to 1.15) with most gains either maintained or increased at follow-up. The recruitment strategy may have negatively impacted participant engagement. Methodological modifications are proposed to improve the feasibility of the program. Minimally monitored web-based programs targeting self-compassion may benefit adults with chronic pain who may have limited access to traditional psychological services or who prefer online-based interventions.