@article{Ponti_Smorti_Ionio_Mauri_Carducci_2023, place={Quartu Sant’Elena (CA, Italy)}, title={Depressive symptoms and mental representations in a sample of pregnant Italian women during COVID-19: comparison of primipara and multipara}, volume={12}, url={https://jpnim.com/index.php/jpnim/article/view/e120130}, DOI={10.7363/120130}, abstractNote={<p class="p1">During the COVID-19 outbreak, the risk of depression has increased for pregnant women and especially for first-time mothers-to-be. Pre-COVID-19 <span class="s1">literature showed that depression is negatively linked to mental representations </span>during pregnancy. This pilot study explored the difference in depressive symptoms and maternal representations style in primiparous and multiparous pregnant women during the outbreak of COVID-19 (2020-2021). 25 women (14 primiparous, 11 multiparous) were recruited in their last trimester of pregnancy. Participants responded to the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale <span class="s2">(EPDS)</span> and <span class="s2">Interview for Maternal Representations during Pregnancy (<em>Intervista sulle Rappresentazioni Materne in Gravidanza</em> – IRMAG)</span>. Results showed that primiparous women presented higher depressive symptoms than multiparous ones. Moreover, primiparous women reported lower richness of perception (p = 0.008), openness to change (p = 0.035) and <span class="s3">dominance of fantasies (p = 0.000) in maternal representation and, globally, </span>more restricted representations (71.4%) than multiparous ones (18.2%) (p = 0.020). Mental representations were related to the level of depression, with integrated representations being associated with lower depression than restricted and ambivalent ones (p = 0.001). A preventive intervention to support primiparous pregnant women during future pandemics would be necessary in particular to avoid negative repercussions also in the post-partum experience.</p> <p class="p1"><strong>This paper is part of the “Pediatric Psychology and Related Issues” Section (<em>Sezione “Psicologia Pediatrica e Dintorni”</em>) by S.I.P.Ped. (Italian Society of Pediatric Psychology, <em>Società Italiana di Psicologia Pediatrica</em>).</strong></p>}, number={1}, journal={Journal of Pediatric and Neonatal Individualized Medicine (JPNIM)}, author={Ponti, Lucia and Smorti, Martina and Ionio, Chiara and Mauri, Giulia and Carducci, Alessia}, year={2023}, month={Apr.}, pages={e120130} }