Dyadic coping and factors associated with prenatal depression and anxiety profiles: a couple-level latent profile analysis study

Abstract

The transition to parenthood is a critical period for psychological adjustment in both partners. While dyadic coping (DC) plays a central role in regulating stress within couples, few studies have explored how joint coping patterns relate to distinct combinations of maternal and paternal emotional symptoms. This study aimed to delineate couple-level profiles of perceived dyadic coping and emotional symptoms, characterize how emotional-symptom profiles are distributed across coping profiles, and assess sociodemographic and relational factors associated with profile membership. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 503 heterosexual expectant couples recruited from two tertiary hospitals in Zhejiang Province, China. Participants completed validated measures of dyadic coping, depression, and anxiety through an online matched-pair survey. Latent profile analyses were applied to identify distinct DC and emotional symptom profiles, followed by cross-tabulations and multinomial logistic regressions to explore associated predictors. We found that approximately 18.7% of mothers and 13.3% of fathers reported depressive symptoms, while 31.0% of mothers and 21.3% of fathers reported anxiety symptoms during pregnancy. Six dyadic coping profiles and three emotional-symptom profiles were identified. Couples who perceived stronger and more balanced coping within the relationship were more likely to belong to the low-symptom group, whereas discordant or low perceived coping patterns were associated with elevated maternal distress. Maternal employment, paternal gender expectations, and a loving paternal marital relationship were significantly associated with the likelihood of high maternal symptoms. Couple-level coping patterns are closely tied to prenatal emotional health, highlighting the value of relationship-focused approaches in perinatal mental health care.