Predictors of parental attachment during early parenthood.
Parental attachment of 121 high-risk women, 61 partners of high-risk women, 182 low-risk women, and 117 partners of low-risk women, was studied at the first week postpartum and 8 months following birth. The tests of theoretical models showed low predictive ability explaining from zero to 21% of the variance in parental attachment in the four groups over the two test periods. Empirical respecified models predicting parent-infant attachment at the first week postpartum and 8 months explained 31% and 29% of the variance among high-risk women, 69% and 45% among high-risk partners, 41% and 53% among low-risk women, and 35% and 38% among low-risk partners. Parental competence was a major predictor of parental attachment over all test periods for all four groups. Early parent-infant contact following birth was never a predictor except at 8 months when, among low-risk women, the opposite effect than that expected was observed; the later women held their infants the higher was their attachment. High-risk women scored significantly higher than low-risk women during the first week postpartum only.
Mercer
R T
RT
Department of Family Health Care Nursing, University of California, San Francisco.
Ferketich
S L
SL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009769:Object Attachment; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011581:Psychological Tests / Q000592:standards*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology