A Preliminary Study on the Association Between ADHD Symptomatology and Pregnancy Distress: The Mediating Role of Self-Compassion and Self-Criticism

Pregnant women with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptomatology may have greater vulnerability to experiencing pregnancy-related anxiety and antenatal depression, yet there is a dearth of research in this area. This study examined whether ADHD symptomatology is associated with psychological distress (i.e., pregnancy-related anxiety and antenatal depression) and whether self-compassion or self-criticism mediated this relationship. A sample of 143 pregnant women (Mage 30.91, SDage = 4.83) completed online self-report measures of ADHD symptoms, self-compassion, self-criticism, pregnancy-related anxiety, and antenatal depression. Mediation analyses indicated that ADHD symptomatology predicted both pregnancy-related anxiety and antenatal depression, and that self-compassion partially mediated this relationship. Self-criticism partially mediated the relationship between ADHD symptomatology and pregnancy-related anxiety, and fully mediated the relationship between ADHD symptomatology and antenatal depression. This study highlights the potential of self-compassion as a protective factor against developing pregnancy-related anxiety and antenatal depression in pregnant women with ADHD symptoms and the need to address self-criticism as a potential contributing factor to distress, particularly antenatal depression. These findings have implications for antenatal mental health support for pregnant women with ADHD symptomatology, suggesting avenues for intervention to enhance their psychological well-being during pregnancy (e.g., self-compassion focused therapy) and the potential benefits of screening for ADHD symptoms in pregnant women to encourage proactive help-seeking and early provision of mental health support.