Effects of Partners’ Attitudes towards Wife’s Aspirations on Depression after Childbirth

Eriko Shinohara,Satoru Takeda,Shoji Sato,Kaoru Sakumoto,Keiko Yoshida,Toshinori Kitamura,Katsuhiko Tada

doi:10.4236/ojd.2017.63006

Abstract

A lack of social support for pregnant women is associated with depression after childbirth. However, few studies have examined the impact of the partners’ understanding of and support for the women’s aspirations (personal goals in life) on the severity of depression after childbirth. To examine the relationship between a partner’s attitude to his wife’s aspirations and depression after childbirth, a longitudinal study was conducted of 290 primipara women from five university hospitals between October 1997 and March 2000. Three questionnaires were administered to participant women. During their third trimester, they were asked about their aspirations (Aspiration Index) and their perception of their partners’ understanding of and support for their aspirations. At one month and three months after childbirth, they were asked about the severity of their depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale). Correlation analyses and structural equation modelling showed that the partners’ poor understanding and support predicted the severity of depression after childbirth. Perinatal health professionals should be encouraged to assess the pregnant women’s aspirations and their partners’ understanding and support regarding the women’s goals in life.

Highlights

Depression after childbirth is a serious mental health problem that affects an estimated 7% to 11% of women who have given birth (O’Hara, 1986; O’Hara & Swain, 1996)
Predictors of postpartum depression are multifaceted including a past history of psychopathology, a psychological disturbance during pregnancy, a poor marital relationship, low social support, stressful life events, and many other factors (O’Hara & Swain, 1996)
In this study we examined the following hypotheses: (a) depression after childbirth would be predicted by the relative importance of different types of aspirations, and (b) depression after childbirth would be predicted by the absence of the partners’ supportive and understanding attitudes towards the women’s aspirations

Summary

Introduction

Depression after childbirth is a serious mental health problem that affects an estimated 7% to 11% of women who have given birth (O’Hara, 1986; O’Hara & Swain, 1996). Predictors of postpartum depression are multifaceted including a past history of psychopathology, a psychological disturbance during pregnancy, a poor marital relationship, low social support, stressful life events, and many other factors (O’Hara & Swain, 1996). A lack of social support is one of such correlates of depression after childbirth. Social support may give directly beneficial effects on psychological well-being or protect persons from the potential adverse effects of stressful events (Cohen & Wills, 1985). The presence of social support prevents postpartum depression (Dennis & Ross, 2006; Corrigan, Kwasky, & Groh, 2015). The partner’s support is a very important predictor of the onset of depression after childbirth

Methods

Results

Conclusion