PSYCHOLOGICAL RESILIENCE DURING PREGNANCY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF PROTECTIVE FACTORS AND MATERNAL WELL-BEING OUTCOMES

Abstract

Pregnancy is a normal physiological process and, simultaneously, a major biopsychosocial transition. Women adapt to bodily change, new health-care routines, evolving family roles, expectations about childbirth, and the anticipated responsibilities of parenthood. These changes may be welcomed and meaningful, yet they can also generate uncertainty, perceived loss of control, and emotional strain. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2016) therefore frames high-quality antenatal care as more than the prevention of morbidity: it should also support dignity, informed participation, well-being, and a positive pregnancy experience.

The psychological demands of pregnancy are not evenly distributed. Pregnancy-related concerns may interact with reproductive loss, medical complications, infertility treatment, intimate partner violence, migration, poverty, discrimination, insecure housing, limited social support, or difficulty accessing respectful maternity care. Such conditions can increase distress, but similar exposure does not produce identical outcomes in all women. Some maintain meaningful functioning, mobilize support, and recover after difficult periods, whereas others experience persistent anxiety, depression, sleep disruption, or reduced quality of life. This variability requires attention not only to vulnerability but also to the processes and resources that enable positive adaptation.