ANTENATAL DETERMINANTS OF PARENTAL ATTACHMENT AND PARENTING ALLIANCE: HOW DO MOTHERS AND FATHERS DIFFER?. Issue 2 (9th February 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Luz, Rita; George, Astrid; Vieux, Rachel; Spitz, Elisabeth
• Is Part Of: Infant mental health journal. Volume 38:Issue 2(2017)
• Page Start: 183
• Page End: 197
• Publication Date: 2017-02-09
• Subjects: parenthood -- parental attachment -- parenting alliance -- marital quality -- adult romantic attachment -- psychological distress -- maternidad o paternidad -- la afectividad del progenitor -- alianza de crianza -- calidad de la relación marital -- afectividad romántica entre adultos -- ansiedad sicológica -- parentage -- attachement parental -- alliance de parentage -- qualité conjugale -- attachement romantique adulte -- détresse psychologique -- Elternschaft -- elterliche Bindung -- Elternallianz -- Qualität der Ehe -- Paarbeziehungen Erwachsener -- psychische Belastung -- 親になること (であること) -- 親の愛着 -- 親の同盟 -- 婚姻の質 -- 成人の恋愛の愛着 -- 心理的苦痛 -- 父母身份 -- 父母依附 -- 育兒聯盟 -- 婚姻素質 -- 成人浪漫依附 -- 心理困擾; Infant psychiatry -- Periodicals; Infant psychology -- Periodicals; 618.9289
• DOI: 10.1002/imhj.21628
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0163-9641

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Parental (parent‐to‐infant) attachment and parenting alliance are defined as two important components of psychoaffective adjustment to the parental role. This study aimed to build a predictive model of parental attachment and parenting alliance for mothers and fathers using partial least squares‐structural equation modeling. Specifically, we were interested in assessing how adult romantic attachment, marital quality, and psychological distress influenced parental attachment (parent‐to‐infant) and parenting alliance. Forty heterosexual couples completed questionnaires during the third trimester of pregnancy and 2 months after childbirth. Results showed that adult romantic attachment, marital quality, and psychological distress were important antenatal determinants of parental attachment and parenting alliance, although they behaved differently for mothers and fathers. Hence, different predictive models were therefore proposed for mothers and fathers. Mothers' attachment to the child was influenced by internal factors as adult attachment dimensions; for fathers, it also depended on mothers' antenatal attachment to the child and on marital quality. Concerning parenting alliance, both mothers and fathers depended on own and partner's variables. Antenatal variables are important for what occurs during the transition to parenthood in terms of parenting adjustment and act differently for mothers and fathers. It thus is important to assess the psychological functioning of both mothers and fathers.