Top

Journal of Child and Family Studies

Tip

Swipe om te navigeren naar een ander artikel

Gepubliceerd in:

07-06-2021 | Original Paper

Common Negative Thoughts in Early Motherhood and Their Relationship to Guilt, Shame and Depression

Auteurs: Naomi K. Law, Pauline L. Hall, Anna Cheshire

Gepubliceerd in: Journal of Child and Family Studies | Uitgave 8/2021

Abstract

New mothers in Western societies report being influenced by ideologies which suggest mothering comes naturally to women and is joyful and fulfilling. However, research reveals motherhood-related negative thoughts are common even among non-depressed new mothers, and it has been suggested experiencing such thoughts may be related to guilt and shame. This study updates and extends Hall and Wittkowski’s (2006) prevalence survey of motherhood-related negative thoughts by assessing new mothers’ perceptions of the social acceptability of negative thoughts, and by exploring relationships with guilt, shame and psychological distress. A cross-sectional survey design was used. A self-selected sample of non-clinical new mothers (N = 395) from the United Kingdom and Ireland completed online questionnaires including measures of the frequency and social acceptability of motherhood-related negative thoughts, shame and guilt proneness, depression and motherhood experience. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to explore relationships between variables. The frequency of negative thoughts was much higher than reported by Hall and Wittkowski. After controlling for demographic variables and social support, frequency of negative thoughts significantly predicted shame and guilt, whereas social acceptability of negative thoughts significantly predicted guilt. Negative thoughts, shame, guilt and motherhood experience relative to expectations significantly predicted depression score. These results suggest that negative thoughts are more common in early motherhood than previously reported, are considered socially unacceptable, and are related to guilt, shame and depression scores. The findings increase our understanding of postnatal distress in non-clinical populations. Future research should explore information and/or interventions aimed at “normalising” negative thoughts in early motherhood.

volgende artikel Parent Sensitive Topic Understanding, Communication Comfort, and Parent-Adolescent Conversation Following Exposure to 13 Reasons Why: A Comparison of Parents from Four Countries

Adler, N. E., Epel, E. S., Castellazzo, G., & Ickovics, J. R. (2000). Relationship of subjective and objective social status with psychological and physiological functioning: Preliminary data in healthy, White women. Health Psychology, 19, 586–592. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.19.6.586. CrossRefPubMed

Bartholomew, M. K., Schoppe-Sullivan, S. J., Glassman, M., Kamp Dush, C. M., & Sullivan, J. M. (2012). New parents’ Facebook use at the transition to parenthood. Family Relations, 61, 455–469. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2012.00708.x. CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Beck, A. T. (1970). Depression: Causes and treatment. University of Pennsylvania Press.

Chew-Graham, C., Chamberlain, E., Turner, K., Folkes, L., Caulfield, L., & Sharp, D. (2008). GPs’ and health visitors’ views on the diagnosis and management of postnatal depression: A qualitative study. British Journal of General Practice, 58(548), 169–176. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp08X277212.

Choi, P., Henshaw, C., Baker, S., & Tree, J. (2005). Supermum, superwife, supereverything: Performing femininity in the transition to motherhood. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 23, 167–180. https://doi.org/10.1080/02646830500129487. CrossRef

Chrisler, J. C. (2013). Womanhood is not as easy as it seems: Femininity requires both achievement and restraint. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 14, 117–120. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031005. CrossRef

Clark, D.A., & Rhyno, S. (2005). Unwanted intrusive thoughts in nonclinical individuals: Implications for clinical disorders. In D. A. Clark (Ed.), Intrusive thoughts in clinical disorders: Theory, research, and treatment (pp. 1–29). Guilford Press.

Coates, R., Ayers, S., & de Visser, R. (2014). Women’s experiences of postnatal distress: A qualitative study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 14, 359 https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2393-14-359. CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Coates, R., de Visser, R., & Ayers, S. (2015). Not identifying with postnatal depression: A qualitative study of women’s postnatal symptoms of distress and need for support. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology, 36, 114–121. https://doi.org/10.3109/0167482X.2015.1059418. CrossRef

Dennis, C.-L. E., Janssen, P. A., & Singer, J. (2004). Identifying women at-risk for postpartum depression in the immediate postpartum period. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 110, 338–346. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0447.2004.00337.x. CrossRefPubMed

Dias, C. C., & Figueiredo, B. (2015). Breastfeeding and depression: A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Affective Disorders, 171, 142–154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2014.09.022. CrossRefPubMed

Dunford, E., & Granger, C. (2017). Maternal guilt and shame: Relationship to postnatal depression and attitudes towards help-seeking. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 26, 1692–1701. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-017-0690-z. CrossRef

Gotlib, I. H., & Joormann, J. (2010). Cognition and depression: Current status and future directions. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 6, 285–312. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.121208.131305. CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Green, J. M. (1998). Postnatal depression or perinatal dysphoria? Findings from a longitudinal community-based study using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 16, 143–155. https://doi.org/10.1080/02646839808404565. CrossRef

Hall, P. L., & Papageorgiou, C. (2005). Negative thoughts after childbirth: Development and preliminary validation of a self-report scale. Depression and Anxiety, 22, 121–129. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.20119. CrossRefPubMed

Hall, P. L., & Wittkowski, A. (2006). An exploration of negative thoughts as a normal phenomenon after childbirth. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 51, 321–330. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmwh.2006.03.007. CrossRef

Harder, D. H., & Zalma, A. (1990). Two promising shame and guilt scales: A construct validity comparison. Journal of Personality Assessment, 55, 729–745. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223891.1990.9674108. CrossRefPubMed

Harwood, K., McLean, N., & Durkin, K. (2007). First-time mothers’ expectations of parenthood: What happens when optimistic expectations are not matched by later experiences? Developmental Psychology, 43, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.43.1.1. CrossRefPubMed

Henderson, C., Potts, L., & Robinson, E. J. (2020). Mental illness stigma after a decade of Time to Change England: Inequalities as targets for further improvement. European Journal of Public Health, 30, 497–503. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckaa013. CrossRef

Henry, J. D., & Crawford, J. R. (2005). The short-form version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21): Construct validity and normative data in a large non-clinical sample. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 44, 227–239. https://doi.org/10.1348/014466505X29657. CrossRef

Henshaw, E. J., Fried, R., Teeters, J. B., & Siskind, E. E. (2014). Maternal expectations and postpartum emotional adjustment in first-time mothers: Results of a questionnaire survey. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology, 35, 69–75. https://doi.org/10.3109/0167482X.2014.937802. CrossRef

Jones, I. (2014). Postpartum psychosis—important clues to the aetiology of mood disorders. In C. M. Pariante, S. Conroy, P. Dazzan, L. Howard, S. Pawlby, & T. Seneviratne (Eds.), Perinatal psychiatry: The legacy of Channi Kumar (pp. 237–247). Oxford University Press.

Kauppi, C., Montgomery, P., Shaikh, A., & White, T. (2012). Postnatal depression: When reality does not match expectations. In Rojas Castillo, M. G. (Ed.), Perinatal depression (pp. 55–80). InTech. https://doi.org/10.5772/1282.

Keller, H. (2007). Cultures of infancy. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Kim, S., Thibodeau, R., & Jorgensen, R. S. (2011). Shame, guilt, and depressive symptoms: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 137, 68–96. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021466. CrossRefPubMed

Lakshman, R., Ogilvie, D., & Ong, K. K. (2009). Mothers’ experiences of bottle-feeding: A systematic review of qualitative and quantitative studies. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 94, 596–601. https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.2008.151910. CrossRefPubMed

Lewis, H. B. (1971). Shame and guilt in neurosis. International Universities Press.

Liss, M., Schiffrin, H. H., & Rizzo, K. M. (2013). Maternal guilt and shame: The role of self-discrepancy and fear of negative evaluation. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 22, 1112–1119. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-012-9673-2. CrossRef

Lovibond, S. H., & Lovibond, P. F. (1995). Manual for the depression anxiety stress scales. Psychology Foundation of Australia.

Martin, C. R., & Redshaw, M. (2013). Diagnosis and classification: Challenges and opportunities for perinatal psychology. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 31, 325–327. https://doi.org/10.1080/02646838.2013.850890. CrossRef

Miller, T. (2005). Making sense of motherhood: A narrative approach (1st ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511489501.

Moore, D., & Ayers, S. (2017). Virtual voices: Social support and stigma in postnatal mental illness Internet forums. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 22, 546–551. https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2016.1189580. CrossRef

Mumsnet. (2014). Second Child Guilt [Online Discussion Group]. https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/behaviour_development/2010922-Second-child-guilt.

National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health. (2018). The perinatal mental health care pathways: Full implementation guidance. https://tinyurl.com/y973z4vl.

Netmums. (n.d.). Did you feel guilty for your 1st child when you had your 2nd child? [Online Discussion Group]. Retrieved 25 June 2019, from https://tinyurl.com/y8225kae.

O’Hara, M. W., & Segre, L. S. (2014). Perinatal depression across the world: Prevalence, risk factors, and detection in primary care. In C. M. Pariante, S. Conroy, P. Dazzan, L. Howard, S. Pawlby, & T. Seneviratne (Eds.), Perinatal psychiatry: The legacy of Channi Kumar (pp. 69–81). Oxford University Press.

Padoa, T., Berle, D., & Roberts, L. (2018). Comparative social media use and the mental health of mothers with high levels of perfectionism. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 37, 514–535. https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2018.37.7.514. CrossRef

Rotkirch, A., & Janhunen, K. (2010). Maternal guilt. Evolutionary Psychology, 8, 90–106. https://doi.org/10.1177/147470491000800108. CrossRefPubMed

Seagram, S., & Daniluk, J. C. (2002). “It goes with the territory”: The meaning and experience of maternal guilt for mothers of preadolescent children. Women & Therapy, 25, 61–88. https://doi.org/10.1300/J015v25n01_04. CrossRef

Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2001). Using multivariate statistics (4th ed). Allyn and Bacon

Tangney, J. P., Dearing, R. L., Wagner, P. E., & Gramzow, R. (2000). The Test of Self-Conscious Affect-3 (TOSCA-3). George Mason University

Tangney, J. P., Stuewig, J., & Mashek, D. J. (2007). Moral emotions and moral behavior. Annual Review of Psychology, 58, 345–372. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.56.091103.070145. CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Thomson, G., Esbich-Burton, K., & Flacking, R. (2014). Shame if you do, Shame if you don’t: Women’s experiences of infant feeding. Maternal and Child Nutrition, 11, 33–46. https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.12148. CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Wardrop, A., & Popadiuk, N. (2013). Women’s experiences with postpartum anxiety: Expectations, relationships, and sociocultural influences. The Qualitative Report, 18, 1–24.

Zimet, G. D., Dahlem, N. W., Zimet, S. G., & Farley, G. K. (1988). The multidimensional scale of perceived social support. Journal of Personality Assessment, 52, 30–41. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa5201_2. CrossRef

Titel: Common Negative Thoughts in Early Motherhood and Their Relationship to Guilt, Shame and Depression
Auteurs: Naomi K. Law
Pauline L. Hall
Anna Cheshire
Publicatiedatum: 07-06-2021
Uitgeverij: Springer US
Gepubliceerd in: Journal of Child and Family Studies / Uitgave 8/2021
Print ISSN: 1062-1024
Elektronisch ISSN: 1573-2843
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-021-01968-6

Mijn bibliotheek

Shop

Tips voor Mijn BSL

Bohn Stafleu van Loghum

Tip

Swipe om te navigeren naar een ander artikel

Common Negative Thoughts in Early Motherhood and Their Relationship to Guilt, Shame and Depression

Abstract

Mijn bibliotheek

Shop

Tips voor Mijn BSL

Bohn Stafleu van Loghum

Tip

Swipe om te navigeren naar een ander artikel

Deel dit onderdeel of sectie (kopieer de link)

Abstract

Log in om toegang te krijgen

Andere artikelen Uitgave 8/2021

Parent Perspectives on Co-located Parent Coaching Services within Pediatric Primary Care

A Yoga Intervention for Young Children: Self-Regulation and Emotion Regulation

Parent Sensitive Topic Understanding, Communication Comfort, and Parent-Adolescent Conversation Following Exposure to 13 Reasons Why: A Comparison of Parents from Four Countries

Intergenerational Transmission of Childhood Maltreatment Mediated by Maternal Emotion Dysregulation

The acceptability of Group Triple P with Brazilian parents

The Relationship between Caregiver Prompting Behaviors, Parenting Practices, and Adolescent Tobacco Use Outcomes in Black Families