Prof. TANG So Kum, CatherineCatherineProf. TANG So KumKoh, Yvaine Yee WoenYvaine Yee WoenKohChen, L.L.ChenYeung, Wei-Jun, JeanWei-Jun, JeanYeung2021-11-222021-11-222020http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11861/6755Objectives: This study investigates the trajectory of psychological and family functioning of mothers and fathers during the transition from pregnancy to parenthood. Method: 1000 pregnant women and their husbands will be recruited to the study. They will be assessed at 28 and 36 weeks of gestation as well as at 6 weeks, 6 months and 1 year after delivery. Validated psychological instruments will be used to assess participants' depression and anxiety symptoms, family cohesion and communication, and marital satisfaction. Results: This presentation reported the preliminary findings from 210 participants (110 women and 100 men) as assessed at 36-week of pregnancy (T1), 6-week post-partum (T2), and 6-month post-partum (T3). Results showed that compared to women, men reported greater increases in depression, anxiety, and marital dissatisfaction during the transition to parenthood. In particular, women showed increases in scores on depression, anxiety, and marital dissatisfaction from T1 to T2, and these scores remained stable at T3. For men, their scores on depression, anxiety, and marital dissatisfaction continued to increase throughout the three assessment time points. Both men and women reported a similar pattern of family communication and cohesion, which increased slightly from T1 to T2, followed by a significant drop at T3. Compared to T1 assessment, both men and women reported fewer family communication and lower family cohesion at T3. Regression analyses showed that younger age, not being employed, increases in family communication were the best predictors for women's marital satisfaction at T3. For men, increases in family communication and cohesion best predicted their marital satisfaction at T3. For both women and men, their anxiety and depression symptoms did not significantly predict their marital satisfaction at T3. Conclusions: The preliminary findings suggest that the transition from pregnancy to parenthood may have a greater impact on the participants’ family functioning as compared to their psychological functioning. While their post-partum psychological functioning seems to return to pregnancy level, their family functioning continues to deteriorate at 6 months after delivery. Compared to women, men showed greater increases in psychological symptoms and marital dissatisfaction during the transition to parenthood. While the bulk of existing research focuses on women’s psychological well-being following childbirth, attention should also be given to the family adjustment to parenthood, especially men’s adjustment to their fathers’ roles. This study will continue to assess participants at 12-month post-partum to investigate the trajectory of psychological and family functioning throughout the first year of parenthood.enConference Paper