Caregiving dispositions as predictors of postpartum depression and mother-baby bonding: parental self-efficacy and marital satisfaction as resources

Abstract

ABSTRACT Professional literature has indicated the detrimental effect of postpartum depression (PPD) and impaired mother's bond with baby (MBB) on infants throughout their development. The present study aimed to examine whether the associations between caregiving dispositions and both postpartum depression (PPD) and mothers’ perception of their bond with baby (MBB) are mediated by maternal self-efficacy, and whether these mediation paths are moderated by marital satisfaction. In this study participated 182 mothers who were in the six months that followed the birth of their child. Results indicated that anxious caregiving predicted both PPD and MBB; however, avoidant caregiving was related only to PPD. Maternal self-efficacy had a salient contribution to both PPD and MBB, and fully mediated the link between anxious caregiving and both PPD and MBB. Marital satisfaction moderated the link between anxious caregiving and MBB. The findings suggest that it may be important when forming interventions focused on enhancing self-efficacy.