Perceived Social Support, Self-Efficacy, and Adjustment to Abortion

Prior to their having a 1st trimester abortion, women's perceptions of social support from their partner, family, and friends and self-efficacy for coping were assessed. Depression, mood, physical complaints, and anticipation of negative consequences were measured after the 30-min recovery peri...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of personality and social psychology 1990-09, Vol.59 (3), p.452-463
Main Authors: Major, Brenda, Cozzarelli, Catherine, Sciacchitano, Anne Marie, Cooper, M. Lynne, Testa, Maria, Mueller, Pallas M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abortion
Abortion, Induced - psychology
Adaptation, Psychological
Adolescent
Adult
Biological and medical sciences
Coping Behavior
Emotional Adjustment
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gynecology and obstetrics
Human
Humans
Induced Abortion
Perceptions
Personal relationships
Personality Tests
Population
Pregnancy
Psychology
Psychology and medicine
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Psychophysiologic Disorders - psychology
Risk Factors
Self Concept
Self Disclosure
Self-Efficacy
Social Influences
Social networks
Social research
Social Support
Women
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Summary:Prior to their having a 1st trimester abortion, women's perceptions of social support from their partner, family, and friends and self-efficacy for coping were assessed. Depression, mood, physical complaints, and anticipation of negative consequences were measured after the 30-min recovery period. As predicted, perceived social support enhanced adjustment indirectly through its effects on self-efficacy. Women who perceived high support from their family, friends, and partners had higher self-efficacy for coping. Higher self-efficacy, in turn, predicted better adjustment on the psychological measures but not on the physical complaint measure. No direct path between social support and adjustment was observed. In addition, women who told close others of their abortion but perceived them as less than completely supportive had poorer postabortion psychological adjustment than either women who did not tell or women who told and perceived complete support.
ISSN:0022-3514
1939-1315
DOI:10.1037/0022-3514.59.3.452