Personal Growth in the Wake of Stress: The Case of Mothers of Preterm Twins

ABSTRACT

In a longitudinal study conducted in Israel, the authors compared mothers of preterm twins (n = 64) with mothers of full-term single babies (n = 75) and twins (n = 72). The authors examined the contributions of internal resources (mother's attachment style, mental health, sociodemographic characteristics), external resources (perceived maternal grandmother's support, mother's marital adaptation), and features of the event itself (infant temperament, additional stressful life events, mother's feelings toward her baby or babies) in proximity to the birth, to personal growth 1 year following the birth. Although mothers of preterm twins reported the highest level of negative feelings toward their infants and the lowest level of mental health, they also experienced the greatest personal growth. Younger age and lower level of education, along with higher perceived support from maternal grandmothers contributed to higher personal growth. It seems that in the wake of stress, even mothers who display lower personal resources can rely on their environmental resources and experience personal growth.

Keywords:

• mothers
• personal growth
• preterms
• twins

Notes

1. This study is part of a large-scale research project conducted in Israel. Other articles have been written on the basis of data generated in Phase 1 (Taubman – Ben-Ari et al., 2008) and in Phases 1 and 2 (Findler, Taubman – Ben-Ari, & Kuint, 2007).