The purpose of this survey was to identify stresses and coping styles in fathers of newborns, and to explore if these vary according to pregnancy planning. Data from 69 subjects were collected using the Ireton Personal Inventory and the Jalowiec Coping Scale. The most common and least often sources of stress or worry were reported. Fathers' predominant mode of coping was problem oriented. Compared to fathers with planned pregnancies, fathers with unplanned pregnancies were found to be significantly more stressed about numerous issues as well as feeling powerless in adapting to the arrival of a new infant. Implications for practice and research are explored.
PIP: The aim was to assess among new fathers their stresses and coping styles and to ascertain whether there was different behavior in planned versus unplanned pregnancies. The study was confined to 69 fathers with 4-6 week health infants and no other children less than one year old, and who had no prior history of institutionalization for mental health problems. Fathers were recruited from the community at large. The sample included 68% (47) planned and 32% (22) unplanned pregnancies. The mean age of the fathers was 29 years. There was wide spectrum of income levels. 88% were White, 5% Black, 2% Asian, 3% Hispanic, and 2% American Indian. 90% were married. Marriage duration averaged 2.5 years. The Ireton Personal Inventory and the Jalowiec Coping Scale were administered at the School of Nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The results indicated that the stress centered around work, family health, finances, and children. Friendships and marital situation held the least stress. Significantly higher levels of stress were reported by fathers with unplanned pregnancies; subjects with unplanned pregnancies reported stress with finances, living situation, marital situation, sex, recreation, and friendships. The most common coping strategies were trying to control a situation, thinking through ways to solve the problem, finding out more about the situation, setting goals, and actively trying to change the situation. Few used the following coping strategies: taking drugs, getting mad, feeling hopeless, drinking, crying/getting depressed, or blaming others. The Jalowiec subscales identified problem-oriented, tension-modulating, and other directed styles of coping, which were similar for all fathers. Fathers did show differences on feeling powerless; fathers with unplanned pregnancies had higher scores on the powerless subscales. These findings suggest that fathers may suffer stresses after childbirth, but not (as reported) of crisis proportions. Fathers of unplanned pregnancies are clearly more at risk of stress due to feelings of powerlessness and in adapting to a newborn. Longitudinal research should be directed to how stress and coping changes over time and whether attachment to the child is affected. Nurses should be trained to assess fathers' stresses during the pregnancy, as a means of helping fathers cope later.