Citation

Howell KH, Miller-Graff LE, Gilliam HC, Carney JR. Psychol. Trauma 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/tra0000985

PMID

33119347

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy is associated with perinatal health problems and postpartum psychopathology. Prenatal IPV is also detrimental to a mother's perceptions of her unborn child, which may impact early parenting skills and contribute to negative effects on infant development. This study explored factors associated with parenting confidence among IPV-exposed pregnant women.

METHOD: Participants included 137 women who experienced IPV during pregnancy (Mage = 27.3 years; 66.9% African American/Black). Hierarchical linear regression modeling was used to examine factors that may be related to parenting confidence, with number of children and number of pregnancy complications entered in Model 1, adverse childhood experiences and IPV severity added in Model 2, and depressive symptoms and resilience added in Model 3.

RESULTS: All models were significant, with the final model accounting for 23.2% of the variance in parenting confidence, F(6, 130) = 6.53, p <.001, R² =.23. In this model, having other children (β =.18, p =.023), fewer pregnancy complications (β = -.19, p =.019), and higher resilience (β =.33, p <.001) were associated with higher parenting confidence.

CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that intervention strategies that promote resilience and address pregnant women's health concerns may facilitate greater parenting confidence among IPV-exposed pregnant women. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Language: en