| Description |
According to crisis theory, stressful events occurring in daily life that threaten biological, psychological or social integrity may cause disequilibrium resulting in crisis. Adolescence and pregnancy are considered developmental crises. Couvade Syndrome is a state in which physical symptoms occur in husbands of pregnant women and which are possibly connected with the pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to determine if teenage fathers experience physical symptoms unrelated to other illnesses. The research questions tested were: (1) Do teenage fathers experience physical symptoms of pregnancy unrelated to explainable illness? (2) Is the frequency of physical symptoms experienced by a teenage father related to the amount of stress that the father is experiencing? The investigation, in which a descriptive correlational design was used, was done in conjunction with research concerning stresses and coping behaviors of teenage fathers (Elster & Panzarine, 1980a). Sixteen teenage fathers, ages 17-18, were interviewed during each trimester, if possible, one month postpartally, and four months postpartally. An interview protocol related to pregnancy symptoms was used at one interview. Stresses present and prior to that time were compared. A control group of 20 teenage boys, ages 15-17, who were not expectant fathers were interviewed randomly using the pregnancy symptom protocol. T-tests comparing number of illnesses experienced, number of pregnancy symptoms experienced, and total pregnancy symptom scores showed no significant difference between the two groups. The number of stresses and pregnancy symptoms experienced by the sample were compared using a Pearson R correlation coefficient. Number of stresses were related to number of symptoms at r = .52. A stress score which related the degree of stress with frequency was computed and the scores for each individual correlated at r = .45. It was concluded that this sample of teenage fathers experienced symptoms unrelated to explainable illness but not significantly different from the sample of teenagers who were not fathers. The frequency of symptoms was possibly related to the number and degree of stresses experienced. Due to the small sample size and a skewed population, this study cannot be generalized. It is suggested that further study be done using larger sample sizes closer in age, with pregnancy symptom and stress tools tested for validity. Degree of involvement with the pregnancy could also be tested. |
