Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, Vol 17(7), Oct 2025, 1416-1424; doi:10.1037/tra0001849
Objective: The present study aimed to examine the contribution of self-compassion and perceived social support from family, partner, and friends, along with pregnancy-related variables, and concerns about the fetus and childbirth, to pregnant women’s mental health, comparing two different crises. Method: A sample of 220 women was recruited during the COVID-19 pandemic, and another sample of 224 women was recruited during the Israel–Hamas war. Participants were enrolled through a convenience sample and completed a set of self-report questionnaires. Results: Women’s mental health, self-compassion, and perceived support from family and partner were significantly higher during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the war. Furthermore, women’s mental health had positive and significant associations with self-compassion and perceived social support from all sources. Moreover, the association between self-compassion and mental health was moderated by the event. Conclusions: The findings suggest that the pregnancy period should be examined under various unique stressful events to better understand the appropriate coping resources that can ameliorate women’s stress due to a major stressful event alongside the challenges inherent in pregnancy itself. They also suggest that self-compassion is a context-dependent variable and more dynamic than previously understood. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)