Coping during pregnancy: a systematic review and recommendations

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Maternal and Child Health
• Stress and Coping Research

Background:

• Prenatal maternal stress is linked to adverse physical and psychological outcomes for mother and infant.
• The role of coping strategies during pregnancy remains less understood despite stress's known impacts.
• Existing research on coping during pregnancy shows inconsistent findings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the literature on coping behaviors and styles during pregnancy.
• To identify associations between coping strategies and maternal/infant health outcomes.
• To highlight methodological limitations and suggest future research directions.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of English-language literature.
• Searches conducted in PsycInfo and PubMed databases.
• Inclusion of 45 cross-sectional and longitudinal studies (1990-2012) with 16,060 participants.

Main Results:

• Some evidence suggests avoidant coping is associated with postpartum depression, preterm birth, and infant development issues.
• Inconsistent findings across studies may stem from variations in methodology, sample characteristics, and outcome measures.
• Poor general coping skills also appear linked to adverse outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Methodological inconsistencies hinder clear conclusions about coping strategies in pregnancy.
• Future research requires a priori hypotheses and the use of pregnancy-specific, daily process, and skills-based approaches.
• Improving conceptual and methodological quality is crucial for translating findings into effective interventions for maternal and infant well-being.