Social Support in the Perinatal Period: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Life Course Antecedents.

BACKGROUND

Social support facilitates physical and mental health in the perinatal period for parents and their children. Yet, little is known about what predicts who will have access to support during this uniquely challenging time. From a life course perspective, the foundations of perinatal social support are likely to be evident well before parenthood.

AIM: To systematically review published and grey literature reporting studies that examined associations between parental perinatal social support (pregnancy to 18 months postpartum) and preconception antecedents.

METHODS

We searched PsycINFO, Medline Complete, CINAHL Complete, Embase, PsycEXTRA, Open Dissertations, OPENGREY and the first 10 pages of Google and Google Scholar. Effects were meta-analysed using univariate random effects models.

RESULTS

In 143 included studies published between 1986 and 2023, 46 potential preconception antecedents of parents' perinatal social support were reported. Meta-analyses revealed lower support was associated with a history of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), mental health disorder/s, migration, having a subsequent child, and unplanned pregnancy. Evidence of differences by structural and functional aspects of social support was limited. Most studies assessed parents' life histories retrospectively. Few studies included fathers or relational antecedents.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Evidence supports a life course perspective to enhance social support in the perinatal periods. Parents who experienced disruption to their developmental environment preconception, as early as childhood, may experience inadequate support in early parenthood, potentially perpetuating intergenerational cycles of psychosocial risk. When making referrals, nursing and other healthcare practitioners should consider, in collaboration with patients, whether supports are appropriate and responsive to parents' broader developmental contexts.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public involvement.