Reference:
Fontein-Kuipers, Y., Van Beeck, E., Cijsouw, A., & Van Gils, Y. (2021). The impact of
motherhood on the course of women's psychological well-being. Journal of
Affective Disorders Reports, 6, 100216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2021.100216
Relevant lecture: Week 9, Motherhood Families Conception
Justification: This research is essential in understanding the impact of motherhood on
women's psychological well-being. Transitioning to motherhood is a significant life event
that can affect women in various ways. The research provides valuable insights into this
critical topic by examining women's psychological well-being before and after becoming
mothers.
Review:
A longitudinal study of 405 women examined their psychological well-being before and
after giving birth. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), a widely used tool in mental
health research, was used to assess psychological well-being in the study. The GHQ
evaluates psychological distress and inquiries about symptoms like anxiety and despair.
The women were evaluated three times throughout pregnancy and two and twelve
months after giving birth.
The findings revealed a considerable drop in psychological well-being following childbirth,
particularly in the first few months postpartum. Anxiety and social dysfunction suffered
the most from this drop. However, women's psychological well-being improved over time,
and by 12 months postpartum, it had recovered to pre-pregnancy levels. This implies that
the negative influence of childbirth on psychological well-being is transient and that
women can recover over time.
One weakness of the study was that it only looked at psychological well-being in the short
term, up to 12 months after giving birth. The impact of motherhood on psychological
well-being may last beyond this period, and future studies should look at this. Consider
the long-term consequences. Furthermore, the study only included women who had
, given birth to their first child and excluded women who had suffered from pregnancy loss
or infertility. This restricts the findings' generalizability, and future research should look at
the impact of motherhood on psychological well-being in a more diverse sample of
women.
The study's use of a longitudinal design to assess the impact of motherhood on
psychological well-being across time is one of its strengths. By evaluating psychological
well-being at numerous time points, the study detected variations in well-being that
would have been obscure in a cross-sectional design. This longitudinal design also allowed
for the examination of psychological well-being recovery over time, which is an integral
part of understanding the influence of motherhood on mental health.
The findings of this study have important implications for healthcare practitioners and
policymakers; the findings show that women may require more support during the first
few months after giving birth, as this is a time when psychological well-being is especially
vulnerable. This assistance could include screening for postpartum depression and anxiety
and giving access to mental health resources. Furthermore, the study emphasizes the
importance of providing ongoing care for women's psychological well-being beyond the
early postpartum period. This could involve offering information and resources for coping
with parenting difficulties and supporting self-care practices. Finally, the study is helpful
for women thinking about becoming moms since it indicates the possible influence of
parenting on psychological well-being. It emphasizes the necessity of postpartum self-
care and seeking support.
Reference:
Parent, M. C., Gobble, T., & Rochlen, A. B. (2019). Social media behaviour, toxic
masculinity, and depression. Psychology of Men and Masculinity, 20(3), 277–287.
https://doi.org/10.1037/men0000156
Fontein-Kuipers, Y., Van Beeck, E., Cijsouw, A., & Van Gils, Y. (2021). The impact of
motherhood on the course of women's psychological well-being. Journal of
Affective Disorders Reports, 6, 100216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2021.100216
Relevant lecture: Week 9, Motherhood Families Conception
Justification: This research is essential in understanding the impact of motherhood on
women's psychological well-being. Transitioning to motherhood is a significant life event
that can affect women in various ways. The research provides valuable insights into this
critical topic by examining women's psychological well-being before and after becoming
mothers.
Review:
A longitudinal study of 405 women examined their psychological well-being before and
after giving birth. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), a widely used tool in mental
health research, was used to assess psychological well-being in the study. The GHQ
evaluates psychological distress and inquiries about symptoms like anxiety and despair.
The women were evaluated three times throughout pregnancy and two and twelve
months after giving birth.
The findings revealed a considerable drop in psychological well-being following childbirth,
particularly in the first few months postpartum. Anxiety and social dysfunction suffered
the most from this drop. However, women's psychological well-being improved over time,
and by 12 months postpartum, it had recovered to pre-pregnancy levels. This implies that
the negative influence of childbirth on psychological well-being is transient and that
women can recover over time.
One weakness of the study was that it only looked at psychological well-being in the short
term, up to 12 months after giving birth. The impact of motherhood on psychological
well-being may last beyond this period, and future studies should look at this. Consider
the long-term consequences. Furthermore, the study only included women who had
, given birth to their first child and excluded women who had suffered from pregnancy loss
or infertility. This restricts the findings' generalizability, and future research should look at
the impact of motherhood on psychological well-being in a more diverse sample of
women.
The study's use of a longitudinal design to assess the impact of motherhood on
psychological well-being across time is one of its strengths. By evaluating psychological
well-being at numerous time points, the study detected variations in well-being that
would have been obscure in a cross-sectional design. This longitudinal design also allowed
for the examination of psychological well-being recovery over time, which is an integral
part of understanding the influence of motherhood on mental health.
The findings of this study have important implications for healthcare practitioners and
policymakers; the findings show that women may require more support during the first
few months after giving birth, as this is a time when psychological well-being is especially
vulnerable. This assistance could include screening for postpartum depression and anxiety
and giving access to mental health resources. Furthermore, the study emphasizes the
importance of providing ongoing care for women's psychological well-being beyond the
early postpartum period. This could involve offering information and resources for coping
with parenting difficulties and supporting self-care practices. Finally, the study is helpful
for women thinking about becoming moms since it indicates the possible influence of
parenting on psychological well-being. It emphasizes the necessity of postpartum self-
care and seeking support.
Reference:
Parent, M. C., Gobble, T., & Rochlen, A. B. (2019). Social media behaviour, toxic
masculinity, and depression. Psychology of Men and Masculinity, 20(3), 277–287.
https://doi.org/10.1037/men0000156
