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Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4644-2069

Date Available

5-1-2026

Year of Publication

2026

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College

Agriculture, Food and Environment

Department/School/Program

Family Sciences

Faculty

Nathan Wood

Faculty

Alexander Vazsonji

Abstract

Previous research on the perinatal period (i.e., pregnancy and postpartum) has largely focused on the pregnant partner’s experience and has rarely involved dyadic data from both partners in a romantic relationship. Although mental health—particularly of pregnant partners—has been extensively studied, relational health is often overlooked in the literature. Using life course theory as a framework, the present study examines both pregnant and nonpregnant partners’ mental and relational health before, during, and after pregnancy to understand actor, partner, and cross-process effects. Six hundred and twelve couples (N = 1,224 individuals) from the German Family Panel (pairfam) were assessed for mental and relational health at three timepoints: before, during, and after pregnancy. A cross-lagged actor-partner interdependence model revealed that pre-pregnancy and prenatal mental health predict later mental health among both pregnant and nonpregnant partners, and that pre-pregnancy and prenatal relational health predict later relational health in both partners (i.e., actor effects). Relational health has a unique positive effect on partners’ perinatal mental and relational health, where nonpregnant partners’ relational health predicted the pregnant partners’ later mental and relational health, and pregnant partners’ pre-pregnancy relational health predicted the nonpregnant partners’ prenatal mental health (i.e., partner effects). There appeared some nuanced differences in partner effects when comparing couples who had (a) expected, spontaneous pregnancies; (b) unexpected pregnancies; and (c) pregnancies after infertility or fertility treatment. Specifically, nonpregnant partners’ prenatal mental health predicted their own postpartum mental health among those with expected, spontaneous pregnancies and those with unexpected pregnancies and predicted the pregnant partners’ postpartum mental health among those who became pregnant after infertility or fertility treatment. The results of the present study provide support for including both partners in the prevention, assessment, and treatment of pregnant and postpartum individuals’ perinatal health.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2026.224

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