Psychological Attitude to Maternity and Complicated Mental States of a Pregnant Woman: Theoretical and Empirical Analysis of the Problem

Abstract

The article is devoted to the accentuation of the results of theoretical and empirical study of the problem of psychological attitude to maternity of pregnant women, as well as determination of their complicated mental states. It has been stated that various factors have significant influence on the affectivity of pregnant women. It has been determined that the problems of depopulation because of socio-economic adversities, unfavorable demographic situation and labor migration are reflected in psychological settings of women concerning pregnancy. It has been noted that onto- and socio-genesis of a woman during pregnancy largely depends on a psychological microclimate of her family relationships. A pregnant woman pays increased attention to her physical health, but no less important task is to strengthen the psychological readiness to changes caused by pregnancy. Based on the theoretical analysis was determined that women’s attitude to pregnancy quite often runs as anxiety and frustration experience, uncertainty and personality helplessness. The important role of pregnancy period in the functioning of consciousness, self-consciousness and self-acceptance of a fertile age woman, who aim to acquire experience of conscious maternity, has been brought to light. It has been emphasized, that readiness as positive attitude to pregnancy is accompanied by numerous affective experiences, but the most important factor is determined by the extent how much the child is desirable and stands as a self-sufficient personality for a mother, and how much only as means to meet some other intentions and needs. The results of the empirical research gave grounds to assert the important role of social determinants in pregnant women’s attitude to the pregnancy situation and to the new status and role preferences and identities, acquired during this period. No less important factor is natality experience, whereas all understudied had their first pregnancy, therefore mainly demonstrated the optimal type of gestational dominant, anxiety within the conditional age norm, at the same time uncertainty was stated almost in the half of understudied. It has been determined that more than every tenth of the understudied has the denoted conflict with pregnancy and the future situation of maternity. The necessity of well-balanced and professional medical and psychological support of pregnant women has been emphasized.