Pregnancy-specific coping and changes in emotional distress from mid- to late pregnancy

Abstract

<b>Objective</b>: To examine whether pregnancy-specific coping predicts changes in emotional distress from mid- to late pregnancy. <b>Background</b>: There is a need to identify ways of coping that reduce or elevate emotional distress in pregnant women as such distress increases the risk of adverse birth outcomes. <b>Methods</b>: 132 women receiving prenatal care from a university hospital midwifery practice were recruited prior to 25 weeks gestation (<i>M </i>= 19.58, <i>SD</i> = 5.14). The state anxiety version of the State-Trait Personality Inventory (STPI) and the Revised Prenatal Distress Questionnaire (NuPDQ) were administered in mid- (M = 25.7 weeks, SD = 4.55) and late (M = 33.4 weeks, <i>SD </i>= 4.18) pregnancy and the Revised Prenatal Coping Inventory (NuPCI) at the latter timepoint. <b>Results</b>: Factor analysis of the NuPCI identified five distinct, conceptually interpretable types of coping: Prayer/Spirituality, Receiving Social Support, Planning/Preparation, Positive Appraisal, and Avoidant Coping. Avoidant Coping was used least frequently and Positive Appraisal was used most. The STPI and NuPDQ were aggregated to create a measure of emotional distress. After controlling for mid-pregnancy distress, Avoidant Coping predicted greater emotional distress in late pregnancy (<i>β</i> = .18, <i>R</i>² = .61, <i>p </i>< .01) and Positive Appraisal predicted lower late pregnancy distress (<i>β </i>= -.15, <i>R</i>² = .60, <i>p </i>< .01). <b>Conclusion</b>: This is one of the first studies to demonstrate that specific ways of coping with stress during pregnancy predict changes in pregnant women's emotional distress. The NuPCI is a psychometrically sound self-report instrument to examine coping and its association with emotional distress.