Trait coping styles and the maternal neural and behavioral sensitivity to an infant

Pilyoung Kim*, Leah A. Grande, Alexander J. Dufford, Andrew Erhart, Rebekah Tribble, Tom Yeh

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

During the postpartum period, new mothers experience drastic changes in their body, brain, and life circumstances. Stress from the emotional and physical demands of caring for an infant is associated with negative mood and parenting outcomes. The use of active coping strategies can increase mothers’ resilience during the postpartum period. However, little is known about the association between coping styles and maternal brain responses to infant cues. In the current study, we examined the associations among trait coping style, maternal brain responses, and behavioral sensitivity in a socioeconomically diverse sample of first-time mothers (N = 59). The use of more active trait coping strategies compared to passive coping strategies was associated with increased brain responses to infant cry sounds in brain regions that are critically involved in motivation and emotion regulation—substantia nigra, anterior cingulate gyrus, and inferior frontal gyrus. Increased brain activations in the midbrain and anterior cingulate gyrus were further associated with higher levels of maternal sensitivity observed during interactions with the infant. Thus, the findings provide support for mothers’ use of more active coping styles to promote neural and behavioral resilience for a positive transition to parenthood.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number14373
JournalScientific reports
Volume12
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2022

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute of Health [R01HD090068; R21HD078797; R21DA046556]; the Professional Research Opportunity for Faculty (PROF) and Faculty Research Fund (FRF), University of Denver; NARSAD Independent Investigator Grant, and the Victoria S. Levin Award For Early Career Success in Young Children’s Mental Health Research, Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD). All other authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest in the research. The authors thank the families that participated in the study and the individuals that supported recruitment. The authors also wish to acknowledge Christian Capistrano, Christina Congleton, Melissa Hansen, Rachel Gray, Daniel M. Gonzaleza, Hana Gulli, Claire Jeske, Aviva Olsavsky, and Nanxi Xu for research assistance.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General

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