Measuring Becoming a Mother: A Scoping Review of Existing Measures of Matrescence

A myriad of scales measure the maternal role transition (matrescence) and its relationship to maternal mental health challenges. However, no synthesis exists. This scoping review aims to synthesize the concepts of matrescence measures as informed by the theory of becoming a mother. Following the guidelines for Preferred Reporting Items for Scoping Reviews and Meta-analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR), database searches included articles from January 1, 1982, through December 14, 2022. Twenty-three existing instruments were identified to measure matrescence. All the instruments included some constructs of becoming a mother as defined by the theory of becoming a mother. Many measures have been developed and never validated on additional populations after the initial development. These findings provide clinicians with a comprehensive evaluation of measurements of becoming a mother for use in subsequent studies. Implications include ensuring that measures used in clinical settings are validated and reliable, especially post-COVID-19, in order to heighten discernment when using these measures for screening with those who recently became mothers.