Grant: Project Grant

Individuals affected by autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs), such as inflammatory arthritis and lupus encounter many challenges that can impact their mental health and functioning in their various roles. Becoming a parent is a major life transition that brings additional challenges. Mental health problems affect up to 20% of persons during the early parenting years and can negatively affect parenting, the family, and child development. Growing evidence from general population suggests that persons with ARDs are at increased risk for mental illnesses, including depression and anxiety. While there have been important advances in identifying a range of factors related to mental health problems during this life stage, these studies have mostly been done in samples without long-term medical conditions. Disease-specific physical (i.e. pain, fatigue) and psychosocial factors (illness uncertainty, disease-management stress) may be worsened for individuals living with ARDs when they become parents. To date there is limited knowledge on the factors related to mental health problems during the transition to parenthood for person's living with ARDs. To address this important gap the proposed study will evaluate mental health during the transition to parenthood and identify related factors specific to persons living ARDs. Participants will complete an on-line survey assessing a number of variables and a subgroup of participants will be interviewed to obtain a more nuanced understanding of the barriers and facilitators to mental health for persons with ARDs during the transition to parenthood. The proposed study will advance the limited knowledge on the mental health of mothers and fathers during the transition to parenthood. The findings will inform tailored mental health resources and intervention approaches to better support the needs of persons living with ARDs during this critical life stage.