Dyadic coping and prenatal depressive symptoms in pregnant couples with threatened abortion after in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer: indirect associations through marital adjustment.

BACKGROUND: Threatened abortion after in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) is a stressful event for both pregnant women and their husbands; however, few studies have included husbands. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the prevalence of depressive symptoms and dyadic associations among dyadic coping, marital adjustment, and prenatal depressive symptoms in couples experiencing threatened abortion after IVF-ET. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Guangzhou, China, from October 2024 to July 2025. Two hundred and seven couples completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Dyadic Coping Inventory, Marital Adjustment Test, and sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics data sheet. The Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model (APIMeM) was used to analyze dyadic data. RESULTS: Elevated prenatal depressive symptoms were identified in 50.7% of pregnant women and 32.9% of their husbands using an EPDS cutoff of ≥10, respectively; and 27.1% and 15.9% using a cutoff of ≥13, respectively. Dyadic coping was indirectly associated with prenatal depressive symptoms through marital adjustment among both pregnant women and their husbands. A significant partner-specific indirect association was observed between husbands' dyadic coping and pregnant women's prenatal depressive symptoms through pregnant women's marital adjustment (β = -0.07, 95%CI [-0.150, -0.028]). CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal depressive symptoms are common in pregnant women with threatened abortion after IVF-ET and their husbands, and they should be viewed as a whole system. Couple-centered interventions to enhance dyadic coping and marital adjustment may be a promising direction for future intervention development.