This study examined the influence of two personality variables, Dependency and Self-Criticism, on mothers' postpartum adjustment. These dimensions were also examined in relation to social support and infant characteristics. During pregnancy, 204 primiparous women completed measures of Dependency and Self-Criticism, depressive symptomatology and mood, and social support. A subsample of 72 women, identified as Dependent, Self-Critical, Mixed, or Control, were assessed at 6 weeks and 3 months postpartum on measures of depressive symptoms, mood, and maternal characteristics. Infant measures were obtained at 6 weeks and 3 months. Multiple regression analyses revealed that Self-Criticism was a stronger predictor of depressive symptomatology and mood than Dependency and predicted a wider range of problems in maternal role functioning. Social support and infant characteristics made significant contributions to postpartum adjustment, and maternal depressive symptoms predicted less optimal infant socioemotional development. Results suggest the need to modify current conceptualizations of Dependency and Self-Criticism. Implications for identification and treatment of women vulnerable to adjustment problems during the transition to motherhood were discussed.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.39792 |
| Date | January 1992 |
| Creators | Dover, Arlene Caplan |
| Contributors | Aboud, Frances (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Doctor of Philosophy (Department of Psychology.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001325980, proquestno: NN87639, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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