The effects of morbidity-mortality and economic unpredictability on parental distress

A life history approach

Bibliographic Data

ID2932360
AuthorsOhad Szepsenwol (0000-0002-0561-172X, The Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, corresponding author), Donna Shai (0000-0003-2218-4966, The Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo, Israel), Dana Shai, Osnat Zamir (0000-0003-2542-040X, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel), Jeffry A Simpson (0000-0003-1899-2493, University of Minnesota)
Year2021
Volume38
Issue1
Pages189-209
Publication date2021-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Social and Personal Relationships (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0265-4075 • E-ISSN: 1460-3608
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0265407520959719
OpenAlexW3089050822
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited28

Negative affect caused by stressful life events can carry over to parental relationships and induce parental distress. Such spillover effects, however, may not operate uniformly in men and women, and may not be the same for different types of stressful life events. Employing life history theory, we hypothesized that male parents should experience more parental distress following exposure to cues of extrinsic morbidity-mortality (illness or death of someone close) or economic unpredictability (financial or occupational changes). We tested this hypothesis in two studies. In Study 1 ( N = 207), recent exposures to morbidity-mortality and economic unpredictability were uniquely associated with parental stress, but the effect of economic unpredictability existed only in men. Stronger unpredictability beliefs partially mediated these effects. Moreover, morbidity-mortality and economic unpredictability were indirectly associated with less positive parenting through greater parental stress. Study 2 used a dyadic sample of 105 families transitioning to parenthood. Recent exposures to morbidity-mortality and economic unpredictability were uniquely associated with parental distress (parental stress and postpartum depression) in men only, whereas exposure to other sources of stress was more strongly associated with women's parental distress. The effects of morbidity-mortality on men's parental distress were mediated by their lower parental self-efficacy. These findings imply that men's parental experiences are particularly vulnerable to risky and unpredictable environments

Affect (linguistics · Depression (economics · Developmental psychology · Distress · Environmental health · Injury prevention · Poison control · Psychiatry · Clinical Psychology · Demography · Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior · Family Dynamics and Relationships · Health disparities and outcomes · Medicine · Psychology

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