Physical and psychological symptoms experienced by Canadian women and their husbands during pregnancy and the postpartum.
This study was designed to determine the type and frequency of physical and psychological symptoms reported by pregnant and postpartal women and their husbands, and to determine the relationship between spouses' strength of identification and similarities in their reports of symptoms. The sample included 20 couples who resided in south-eastern Ontario, Canada who completed a checklist of 20 physical and three psychological symptoms. Findings indicated that wives and husbands experienced a variety of physical and psychological symptoms during pregnancy and the postpartum. Although few symptoms were shared by spouses, the similarities in their reports were statistically significant. There was no evidence of a relationship between spouses' strength of identification and similarities in their symptom reports.