Dysfunctional Attitudes Toward Motherhood and Depressive Symptoms in Portuguese Pregnant Women During COVID-19 Pandemic: the Mediating Roles of Self-Compassion and Mindful Self-Care

OBJECTIVES: There is evidence that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had a negative impact on the mental health of pregnant women, such as an increase in the prevalence of depression. Given the negative consequences that depressive symptoms can pose for pregnant women, it is crucial to understand how cognitive processes influence women’s depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic among this specific vulnerable population. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between pregnant women’s dysfunctional attitudes toward motherhood and their depressive symptoms, considering the mediating roles of self-compassion and mindful self-care. METHOD: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Portugal between October 2020 and April 2021. A sample of 244 pregnant women answered a set of questionnaires to assess dysfunctional attitudes toward motherhood, depressive symptoms, self-compassion, and mindful self-care. RESULTS: More dysfunctional attitudes toward motherhood were associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms, and this relation was mediated through self-compassion and mindful self-care. CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight that self-compassion and mindful self-care are important psychological mechanisms and the importance of considering them in psychological interventions to prevent and/or treat depressive symptoms in pregnant women with dysfunctional attitudes toward motherhood during stressful events such as a pandemic.