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. 2023 Apr;27(4):711-718.
doi: 10.1007/s10995-022-03573-5. Epub 2023 Jan 31.

Prenatal Mental Representations in Italian First-Time Mothers Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Study with Interviews on Maternal Representations During Pregnancy

Martina Smorti  1 , Giulia Mauri  2 , Alessia Carducci  2 , Angelica Andreol  3 , Lucia Bonassi  3
Affiliations

Prenatal Mental Representations in Italian First-Time Mothers Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Study with Interviews on Maternal Representations During Pregnancy

Martina Smorti et al. Matern Child Health J. 2023 Apr.

Abstract

Introduction: Psychosocial risks increase the levels of not-integrated/ambivalent and restricted/disengaged representations during pregnancy, but no study has specifically analysed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal representation styles.

Objectives: (1) to compare maternal representation styles in primiparous women who became pregnant before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) to analyse the content of representation styles during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A total of 37 Italian pregnant women were recruited from 2019 to 2021. The sample was divided into two groups: the pre-COVID-19 group (22 women, mean age = 33.14 years; SD = 3.78) and the COVID-19 group (15 women, mean age = 35.9 years; SD = 4.6). Interviews on maternal representations during pregnancy were administered and analysed for style and content.

Results: Women during the COVID-19 pandemic reported more restricted/disengaged and less integrated/balanced representation styles than women pre-COVID-19. Content analysis showed that the COVID-19 pandemic led women to focus more on concrete aspects of pregnancy in lieu of emotional aspects, thus leading them to develop more restricted/disengaged representation styles.

Conclusions for practice: In future pandemics pregnant women should be supported in focusing their attention to emotions, sensations and fantasies about themselves as mothers and their children.

Keywords: COVID-19; Content analysis; Interview on maternal representations during pregnancy; Maternal representation style; Primiparous women.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare they have no conflict of interest.

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