Associations between Coparenting Relationships and Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Negative Bonding to Infant.

Yoko Takeishi,Yasuka Nakamura,Toyoko Yoshizawa,Maiko Kawajiri,Mikako Yoshida,Fumi Atogami

doi:10.3390/healthcare9040375

Yoko Takeishi, Yasuka Nakamura + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9040375

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Abstract

Maternal mental illnesses during early postpartum may be caused by lack of the coparenting relationship parents share and cooperate regarding child-rearing. This study clarifies the association of the coparenting relationship and negative mental health of mothers at one and three months after childbirth. This study conducted a secondary analysis of data from an intervention study wherein 24 mothers rearing their first child with a cohabitant (husband/partner) participated. Maternal mental health was evaluated using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale to determine postpartum depressive symptoms and the Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale to assess negative bonding. Mothers’ average age was 31.5 ± 4.2 years old. All mothers were not working during the research period. The prevalence of postpartum depression and bonding disorder were approximately 13% and 21%, respectively. A better coparenting relationship was associated with lower postpartum depressive symptoms at both one month (β = −0.617, p = 0.002) and three months (β = −0.709, p < 0.01) postpartum. In contrast, no association was found between a coparenting relationship and negative bonding. The results indicate that the coparenting relationship may possibly prevent maternal depression during the early postpartum period.

Highlights

This study revealed that three mothers who scored more than nine points on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)
Even though the current study used a small sample, the prevalence of postpartum depression was approximately 13%. This is consistent with the results of a previous systematic review [6], which reported a peak prevalence of postpartum depression of 12.9%
This systematic review of 28 studies found this mental illness appeared starting in the early postpartum period [6]

Summary

Introduction

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Postpartum depression, caused by unfamiliarity with child-rearing, is a mental illness suffered by some mothers [1,2,3,4,5]; approximately 10% of mothers experience depressive symptoms within one postpartum year [5]. Peak prevalence of postpartum depression, 13%, has been found to occur in the first three to four months postpartum [6]. Postpartum depression is sometimes characterized by the mother not feeling affection toward her infant

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