Mother and father’s perinatal mental health, family processes, and infant development

Tese de doutoramento em Psicologia Aplicada
Com vista a contribuir para a literatura sobre a saúde mental perinatal, os processos da família e o
desenvolvimento do bebé, a presente tese tem dois objetivos principais. O objetivo principal 1 foi analisar
o impacto dos sintomas de depressão pré-natal da mãe e da coparentalidade na autorregulação do bebé,
considerando o papel da variabilidade cardíaca fetal no impacto dos sintomas de depressão pré-natal da
mãe e da coparentalidade na autorregulação do bebé. Considerando a adversidade associada à
pandemia de COVID-19, o objetivo principal 2 foi analisar o impacto da pandemia de COVID-19 na saúde
mental pós-natal da mãe e do pai, na relação conjugal, e na autorregulação do bebé. A presente tese
compõe sete artigos interrelacionados. Inclui uma coorte de mães, pais, e bebés avaliados desde o início
da gravidez até seis meses pós-parto, com um grupo avaliado antes e outro avaliado durante a pandemia
de COVID-19. Os resultados do objetivo principal 1 revelaram que (1) a coparentalidade negativa às duas
semanas pós-parto acentuou o impacto dos sintomas de depressão pré-natal da mãe na autorregulação
do bebé aos três meses; (2) a variabilidade cardíaca fetal mostrou-se preditor e um mediador do impacto
dos sintomas de depressão pré-natal da mãe na autorregulação do bebé aos três meses; e (3) os bebés
com baixa variabilidade cardíaca fetal apresentaram maior autorregulação quando mães ou pais
reportaram menos coparentalidade negativa, mas menor autorregulação quando mães ou pais
reportaram mais coparentalidade negativa. Os resultados do objetivo principal 2 revelaram que (1) as
mães e pais a enfrentar a pandemia de COVID-19 reportaram mais sintomas depressivos e mais
interações conjugais negativas aos seis meses pós-parto, e os seus bebés apresentaram menor
autorregulação aos seis meses, quando comparados com mães, pais, e bebés que não enfrentaram a
pandemia de COVID-19; (2) a interação conjugal positiva prévia associou-se a menos sintomas
depressivos pós-parto apenas nas mães e pais a enfrentar a pandemia de COVID-19; e (3) o impacto da
coparentalidade positiva prévia na autorregulação mostrou-se maior nos bebés a enfrentar a pandemia
de COVID-19, do que nos bebés que não enfrentaram a pandemia de COVID-19. Os resultados foram
discutidos e enquadrados concetualmente, considerando os seus contributos para a literatura sobre a
saúde mental perinatal da mãe e do pai, os processos da família e o desenvolvimento do bebé.
Aiming to contribute to the literature on mother and father’s perinatal mental health, family processes,
and infant development, the present thesis has two main aims. Main aim 1 was to analyze the impact of
mother’s prenatal depressive symptoms and coparenting on infant self-regulation, considering the role of
fetal heart rate variability in the impact of both mother’s prenatal depressive symptoms and coparenting
on infant self-regulation. Considering the adversity associated with COVID-19 pandemic, main aim 2 was
to analyze the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mother and father’s postnatal mental health, couple’s
relationship quality, and infant self-regulation. This thesis was comprised by seven interrelated papers. It
includes a cohort of mothers, fathers, and infants assessed from early pregnancy to six months
postpartum, with one group assessed before and another assessed during COVID-19 pandemic. Findings
from main aim 1 revealed that (1) negative coparenting at two weeks postpartum accentuated the
negative impact of mother’s prenatal depressive symptoms on infant self-regulation at three months; (2)
fetal heart rate variability predicted infant self-regulation and mediated the negative impact of mother’s
prenatal depressive symptoms on infant self-regulation at three months; and (3) infants with low fetal
heart rate variability presented higher self-regulation when mothers or fathers reported less negative
coparenting, while lower self-regulation when mothers or fathers reported more negative coparenting,
than infants with high fetal heart rate variability. Findings from main aim 2 revealed that (1) mothers and
fathers facing COVID-19 pandemic reported more depressive symptoms and more couple’s negative
interactions at six months postpartum, and their infants presented less self-regulation at six months, when
compared with mothers, fathers, and infants that not faced COVID-19 pandemic; (2) previous couple’s
positive interaction was associated with less postpartum depressive symptoms only in mothers and
fathers facing COVID-19 pandemic; and (3) the impact of previous positive coparenting on self-regulation
was higher in infants facing COVID-19 pandemic, than in infants that not faced COVID-19 pandemic.
Findings were discussed and conceptually framed considering their contributes to the literature on mother
and father’s perinatal mental health, family processes, and infant development.
This doctoral dissertation was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and
Technology (FCT), through the PhD grant with the reference SFRH/BD/115048/2016, under the HCOP
– Human Capital Operational Programme, co-financed by the European Social Fund and by national funds
of MCTES. This study was conducted at Psychology Research Centre (UID/PSI/01662/2013), University
of Minho, and supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and the Portuguese
Ministry of Education and Science through national funds and co-financed by FEDER through
COMPETE2020 under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007653).