Family sense of coherence and family and marital functioning across the perinatal period

- Couples experienced a decline in family and marital functioning during the early postpartum period.
- Women had a lower level of family and marital functioning than their partners at early postpartum.
- Family sense of coherence is associated with family and marital functioning in the perinatal period.

BackgroundA family sense of coherence is central to successfully coping with family stressors and facilitates positive adaptation. Little is known about the implications of family sense of coherence for family adaptation during the transition to parenthood.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to examine the role of family sense of coherence in family and marital functioning during the perinatal period.MethodsThe study used a longitudinal design. A convenience sample of 202 Chinese childbearing couples completed the Medical Outcomes Study Family and Marital Functioning Measures and Family Sense of Coherence Scale during pregnancy, at 6 weeks and at 6 months postpartum.ResultsThe results showed that the couples experienced a substantial decline in family and marital functioning postpartum and that a strong family sense of coherence was associated with better family and marital functioning in the perinatal period. The levels of family sense of coherence for both mothers and fathers were fairly stable across the perinatal period.ConclusionThe study provides evidence that family sense of coherence plays a significant role in promoting family and marital functioning during the transition to parenthood.