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Cited by 20Stress Responses and CortisolAttachment and Relationship DynamicsMaternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum

Maternal psychological stress moderates diurnal cortisol linkage in expectant fathers and mothers during late pregnancy

Braren, Stephen H., Brandes-Aitken, Annie, Ribner, Andrew, Perry, Rosemarie E., Blair, Clancy·2020·Psychoneuroendocrinology
DOI 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104474
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Abstract

Using data from a large international sample (N = 385) of first-time expectant parents, the current analysis investigated whether parents demonstrated diurnal cortisol linkage in late pregnancy and whether self-reported psychological stress moderated this linkage. At approximately 36 weeks gestation, mothers and fathers collected saliva samples in their home at three times on two consecutive days and reported on their psychological stress. Results from multilevel models indicated that there was significant positive within-couple diurnal cortisol linkage on average for the whole sample. However, this linkage was moderated by maternal self-reported psychological stress. Specifically, for couples with higher maternal psychological stress, cortisol linkage was strong. Conversely, for couples with lower maternal psychological stress, maternal and paternal cortisol were unrelated. These findings suggest that among higher-maternal-stress couples, lower paternal cortisol may buffer maternal cortisol, whereas higher paternal cortisol may amplify maternal cortisol. Our results support the idea that interpersonal psychological and physiological stress in close relationships is interdependent and mutually influenced. Further, our findings contribute to the field's understanding of interpersonal processes during pregnancy, which may have health-related implications in the prenatal and postnatal periods for both parents and the developing child.

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  • Physiological linkage is an interpersonal process, for better and for worse.

    “As Braren et al. (2020)conclude, these findings indicate that physiological linkage is an interpersonal process, for better and for worse.”

    From Couples becoming parents: Trajectories for psychological distress and buffering effects of social support (2020) · cites this paper as Braren et al., 2020

  • Multi-level models showed significant positive within-couple diurnal cortisol linkage for the sample overall that was especially strong for couples with higher maternal psychological distress.

    “As recently reported elsewhere (Braren et al., 2020), the current study included measures of prenatal cortisol in both expectant mothers and expectant fathers.Multi-level models showed significant positive within-couple diurnal cortisol linkage for the sample overall that was especially strong for couples with higher maternal psychological distress (i.e., expectant mothers who report symptoms of”

    From Couples becoming parents: Trajectories for psychological distress and buffering effects of social support (2020) · cites this paper as Braren et al., 2020

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Authors
Braren, S. H., Brandes-Aitken, A., Ribner, A., Perry, R. E., & Blair, C.
Affiliations
New York University (US)
Corresponding author
Braren, Stephen H.
ORCID
Venue
Psychoneuroendocrinology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2020-01
Volume
111
Pages
104474
ISSN
0306-4530 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104474
OpenAlex
W2980896671
Cited by
20
References
51
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2
FWCI
1.47
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
Locations
  • Psychoneuroendocrinology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
  • National Science Foundation
  • Economic and Social Research Council
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
Keywords
diurnal cortisol rhythm, maternal stress, expectant parents, late pregnancy, maternal cortisol, stress buffering, interpersonal stress, new parents, salivary cortisol, prenatal stress
MeSH terms
Adult, Anxiety, Fathers, Female, Gestational Age, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Mothers, Pituitary-Adrenal System, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications, Pregnancy Trimester, Third, Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects, Prospective Studies, Saliva, Stress, Physiological, Stress, Psychological, Self Report

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