No abstract

<b>Background</b><br /> Divorce is a transition period in which divorcing individuals face restructuring of the family system and adjustment to changes. The psychological well-being of divorcees can serve as an important indicator of the adjustment process. The achievement of well-being does not come easily for many reasons, one of which is the experience related to a sense of loss associated with the marriage break-up. Social support is a major relational resource for overcoming the crisis and successfully adjusting to post-divorce life.<br /> <br /> <b>Participants and procedure</b><br /> The sample consisted of 157 individuals after divorce: 120 women and 37 men (mean age = 41.29). Instruments employed in the study included the Sense of Loss Scale (DS), the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL), the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ-23), and sociodemographic data.<br /> <br /> <b>Results</b><br /> Our results show that perceived social support is a partial mediator of the relationship between the sense of loss associated with divorce and the psychological well-being of individuals after divorce. For the vast majority of the respondents their parents, friends and acquaintances were the major source of support. About one third of the participants were given support by their siblings and their own children.<br /> <br /> <b>Conclusions</b><br /> The study confirms the mediating role of support in building well-being after experiencing loss related to dissolution of marriage. This means that for divorced women and men perceived social support is one of the key resources that have a significant impact on achieving psychological well-being after divorce, since it is related to mitigating the negative impact of the sense of loss associated with marriage break-up.

health psychology report • volume 5(4), 7 original article background Pregnant women's psychological well-being affects their emotional state, which in turn has a significant impact on fetal development, the course of labor, and the mother's adaptation in the postpartum period. Social support, especially partner support, is proven to have a protective effect against stress, worries, and concerns that occur in pregnancy. The main objective of this study was to investigate whether support received from the partner mediates the relationship between pregnant women's prenatal concerns and psychological well-being. participants and procedure The study involved 137 pregnant women aged 18-40 years.

Background: Depressive symptoms during pregnancy may cause unfavorable consequences for both the mother and the infant’s physiological and psychological health. Recent evidence indicates that body image plays an important role in prenatal depression. The present study’s main purpose was to investigate the level of acceptance of physical appearance in pregnant women, their attitudes toward pregnancy and maternity, and some obstetric characteristics as significant predictors in the development of depression. Methods: A sample of 150 Polish pregnant women completed a set of self-report questionnaires, including the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Attitudes toward Maternity and Pregnancy Questionnaire (PRE-MAMA), and the Body-Self Questionnaire (EA-BSQ). All participants also answered a brief sociodemographic and obstetric information questionnaire. Results: A hierarchical binary logistic regression was conducted to predict prenatal depression from selected obstetric variables (unplanned pregnancy, multiparity, and miscarriages) and psychological variables (appearance evaluation and positive or anxious attitudes toward pregnancy and maternity). It was found that higher levels of negative evaluation of appearance increased chances of depression in pregnant women by almost one-and-a-half. The analysis revealed that positive attitudes toward pregnancy and maternity were the most important protective factor for depression. Conclusions: The results confirmed the importance of dissatisfaction with body image during pregnancy as a predictor of the onset of prenatal depression. However, in clinical practice, this risk factor should be considered in combination with positive maternal attitudes, not separately. The implications for future studies and interventions in the field of prenatal depression are discussed in this work.