Emotion management of women at risk for premature birth: The association with optimism and social support.

Objective: To examine the emotion management of women at risk for premature birth, and the connection to their optimism and social support.

Background: A shortened uterus cervix in early pregnancy (24-34 weeks gestation) is a predictor of preterm birth and is a common reason for hospitalization in a high-risk unit. Women hospitalized for this reason often feel a wide spectrum of emotions that may require emotional work, where deep acting techniques are used to evoke or suppress emotions in order to meet social expectations.