The mediating role of stress coping styles in the relationship between maternal attachment styles and maternal-fetal attachment

The study aimed to explore the mediating role of stress coping styles in the relationship between maternal attachment styles and maternal-fetal attachment (MFA). A sample of 191 pregnant women completed three questionnaires: the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) to assess coping styles, the Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ) to measure maternal attachment, and the Maternal Fetal Attachment Scale (MFAS) to evaluate the emotional bond with the unborn child. The results showed that coping styles fully mediated the relationship between secure attachment and MFA. Mothers with secure attachment styles tended to use task-oriented coping strategies, which were associated with stronger prenatal attachment, and relied less on emotion-focused and avoidance styles, which weakened MFA. In the case of avoidant and anxious attachment, task-oriented coping fully mediated the negative impact of these attachment styles on MFA. However, emotion-focused coping did not significantly mediate the relationship between avoidant attachment and MFA, nor did avoidance coping mediate the relationship between anxious attachment and MFA. Interventions encouraging adaptive coping may benefit women with insecure attachment.