Psychological and physical symptoms during pregnancy: A comparison of male and female expectant parents

Abstract

Each member of 165 expectant couples completed a questionnaire focusing on the prevalence and severity of psychological and emotional symptoms experienced during pregnancy. Comparison of the male and female responses reveals that, although the women reported significantly higher symptom levels, a substantial minority of the men also reported being severely symptomatic. Fewer than 15 per cent of the women and 10 per cent of the men reported increased psychological well-being during pregnancy. Multiparous couples reported more severe psychological symptoms than primiparous ones. The findings suggest constancy of psychological symptoms over the three trimesters. Factors most significantly associated with high symptom formation were, in the case of women, menstrual disturbance and a lack of emotional attachment to the foetus. In the case of men, marital insecurity most strongly predicted symptom formation.