Parental Self-Efficacy and Stress-Related Growth in the Transition to Parenthood: A Comparison between Parents of Pre- and Full-Term Babies

Abstract

The purpose of the study reported in this article was to examine how the unique circumstances of the birth of a premature baby affect the perception of parental self-efficacy and stress-related growth--which is the experience of positive change in one's life following stressful circumstances--among first-time parents and to examine the contribution of the parents' personal resources of self-esteem and attachment style, and their infant's temperament and medical condition, to their self-efficacy and stress-related growth. Forty-nine sets of parents of preterm babies and 50 sets of parents of full-term babies completed questionnaires about one month after the birth of their child. Parents of premature infants reported a higher level of stress-related growth than those of full-term infants, but no difference was found between them on parental self-efficacy In addition, gender differences in the dependent variables, as well as significant contributions of attachment style and self-esteem, were found. Professional guidance during pregnancy, aimed at expanding parents' knowledge and understanding of the changes they can expect to undergo, may serve to enhance the positive experience of growth in the transition to parenthood.

First-Time Parents’ and Grandparents’ Perceptions of Personal Growth: A Dyadic Approach

“…Both options are capable of affecting the possibility of personal growth for each individual in the wake of the life transition of becoming a parent or grandparent. Although a number of previous studies have examined the construct of personal growth in this context (Ben Shlomo, Taubman -Ben-Ari, Findler, Sivan, & Dolizki, 2010;Sawyer & Ayers, 2009;Spielman & Taubman -Ben-Ari, 2009;TaubmanBen-Ari, Ben Shlomo, Sivan, & Dolizki, 2009;Taubman -Ben-Ari, Findler, & Kuint, 2010), only one has dealt with the parallel transition of the two generations, comparing the personal growth of first-time mothers and their own mothers, and its associations with the individual's internal and external resources (Taubman -Ben-Ari, Ben Shlomo, & Findler, 2012b). However, to the best of our knowledge, no prior study has investigated the effect of the interactions between both parents and both grandparents on the parallel experience of growth in both generations.…”

“…Research has shown that personal growth following the birth of a first child or grandchild is reported by all four family members involved: mothers (e.g., Taubman -Ben- Taubman -Ben-Ari, Findler, & Sharon, 2011), fathers (Spielman & Taubman -Ben-Ari, 2009), grandmothers (e.g., Ben Shlomo et al, 2010, and grandfathers (Taubman -Ben-Ari, Findler, & Ben Shlomo, 2012a). One study also found associations between the reported growth of mothers and maternal grandmothers (TaubmanBen-Ari et al, 2012b), suggesting that the experience may be shared to a certain extent.…”

“…Investigations of the associations between self-esteem and growth in general have produced inconclusive results (Zoellner & Maercker, 2006), as have those relating specifically to parents and grandparents. Although one study of parents, conducted about a month following the birth of their first child, indicated that higher selfesteem was associated with greater experience of personal growth among mothers, though not among fathers (Spielman & Taubman -Ben-Ari, 2009), studies examining expectant mothers and grandmothers found no association between self-esteem and reported growth (Ben Shlomo et al, 2010;Taubman -Ben-Ari et al, 2009). Similarly, self-esteem was not found to be associated with growth among first-time mothers 3 to 24 months after delivery (Taubman -Ben-Ari et al, 2012b).…”

Actitudes de madres adultas y adolescentes hacia la crianza de bebés prematuros

“…Por el contrario, existen estudios (16,17) que mencionan la creencia en el castigo físico para corregir una mala conducta, lo que muestra complicaciones a futuro de los hijos con el uso de este tipo de disciplina punitiva. También se han encontrado algunos factores presentes en la madre, como son la depresión y el estrés, asociados al uso del castigo físico (18,19); pero aún la literatura no reporta hallazgos específicamente en madres de bebés prematuros.…”

Birth trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder: the importance of risk and resilience

“…There is some indication that women who have more adverse experiences show more growth. This includes experiences such as operative birth (Sawyer et al, 2012), preterm birth (Noy, Taubman-Ben-Ari, & Kuint, 2015;Porat-Zyman, Taubman-Ben-Ari, & Spielman, 2017;Spielman & Taubman-Ben-Ari, 2009;Taubman-Ben-Ari, Findler, & Kuint, 2010) and women with symptoms of PTSD (Sawyer et al, 2012(Sawyer et al, , 2015. There is also indication that growth is associated with approach coping (Sawyer & Ayers, 2009;Sawyer et al, 2015) and more likely in younger women (Sawyer et al, 2015;Taubman-Ben-Ari et al, 2010).…”