Sense of coherence in first-time parents: a longitudinal study.

Background: Antonovsky's idea of sense of coherence (SOC) is related to wellbeing and is of importance for individuals in public health care. SOC in parents with healthy children has not previously been studied. The objectives of this study were (1) to describe the SOC of first-time parents during the first 8 years of their child's life, (2) to describe gender differences in regards to SOC, and (3) to describe covariates with SOC in the parents' life situations.