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The role of mothers’ self‐compassion on mother–infant bonding during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A longitudinal study exploring the mediating role of mindful parenting and parenting stress in the postpartum period
Author(s) -
Fernandes Daniela V.,
Canavarro Maria C.,
Moreira Helena
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
infant mental health journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.693
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1097-0355
pISSN - 0163-9641
DOI - 10.1002/imhj.21942
Subject(s) - self compassion , psychology , postpartum period , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , mindfulness , pregnancy , biology , genetics
The current COVID‐19 pandemic is a challenging time for postpartum mothers, and associated challenges may have a negative impact on their parenting and, consequently, on mother–infant bonding. This study aimed to longitudinally explore whether mothers’ self‐compassion was associated with mother–infant bonding and whether this relationship was mediated by mindful parenting and parenting stress. A total of 125 Portuguese mothers of infants aged between 0 and 12 months completed an online survey at two assessment points during the first wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic (T1: April–May 2020; T2: June–July 2020). The survey included several questionnaires assessing sociodemographic, clinical, and COVID‐19 information; self‐compassion; mindful parenting; parenting stress; and mother–infant bonding. Mothers presented significantly higher levels of self‐compassion, less impaired mother–infant bonding, and lower levels of depressive symptoms at T2 than T1. Higher levels of self‐compassion at T1 predicted less impaired mother–infant bonding at T2, and this relationship was mediated by higher levels of mindful parenting and lower levels of parenting stress (both assessed at T1). These results highlight the relevance of mothers’ self‐compassion to establishing mother–infant bonding in the postpartum period, particularly during the COVID‐19 pandemic, and the important role of mindful parenting and parenting stress in determining this relationship.