Protective factors and mental health in couples who expect a child in confinement

Adverse situations can affect the mental health and support of pregnant women and their partners, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting confinement periods. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the protective factors in the mental health of pregnant women and their partners, as well as the interrelationships of these factors, in an adverse situation, through the assessment of resilience, perceived support, anxiety, depression and stress.

The sample consisted of 38 women with no pregnancy risk and 25 partners evaluated between gestation weeks 24 and 31. This is a cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational study.

The pregnant women presented lower resilience, greater social support (especially family support), and greater intensity of depression, anxiety and stress than their partners. Moreover, a mutual relationship was found, both in depression and general support, between the members of the couple.

During the confinement, pregnant women have presented greater vulnerability in mental health, despite perceiving greater social support than their partners. Greater resilience in the partners could be a relevant factor to cope with situation of adversity during pregnancy, as indicated by the relationship detected between the risk and protective factors. It would be desirable to improve the attention and care of pregnant women during prolonged periods of adversity, including the couple, and to strengthen mutual support.