Abstract
BackgroundPerinatal depression is the most common complication of gestation and childbearing affecting women and their families, and good social support and family function are considered protective and modifiable factors. This study aimed to investigate depression status and explore inter-relationships between social support and perinatal depression considering the influence of family function in rural areas of Southwest China.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study. The following instruments were used: the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale, the APGAR Family Care Index Scale, and the Social Support Rate Scale. A structural equation modelling was used to test the hypothesis relationships among the variables.ResultsA total of 490 rural antenatal (N = 249) and postpartum (N = 241) women (mean age (standard deviation), 28.17 ± 5.12) participated. We found that the prevalence of depression symptoms was 10.4%. Path analysis showed that family function had a direct negative correlation with depression (β = − 0.251, 95%CI: − 0.382 to − 0.118). Social support had a direct positive correlation with family function (β =0.293, 95%CI: 0.147 to 0.434) and had an indirect negative correlation with depression (β = − 0.074, 95%CI: − 0.139 to − 0.032), family function fully mediated the relationship between social support and depression.ConclusionsFindings of this study highlight that family function should be considered as the key target for interventions aiming to lower the prevalence of perinatal depression. Family members interventions are critical to reduce depression among antenatal and postpartum women.
Highlights
Perinatal depression is the most common complication of gestation and childbearing affecting women and their families, and good social support and family function are considered protective and modifiable factors
We examined the influence of social support and family function on perinatal depression in rural areas of southwest China in this study
Our model reveals that the higher social support among perinatal women was less likely to experience depression symptoms which is consistent with previous studies, but interestingly, the association was fully mediated by family function
Summary
Perinatal depression is the most common complication of gestation and childbearing affecting women and their families, and good social support and family function are considered protective and modifiable factors. This study aimed to investigate depression status and explore inter-relationships between social support and perinatal depression considering the influence of family function in rural areas of Southwest China. Depression and anxiety are the most common mental disorders experienced during the perinatal period [1, 2]. The prevalence of perinatal depression in China has been estimated at 16.3% in a recent meta-analysis, with trends suggesting an increasing prevalence over the last decade and in less developed regions [5]. Perinatal depression usually has its onset during the third trimester of pregnancy or in the postpartum, affecting one in seven women [6, 7]. A study has shown that women were more vulnerable to psychiatric illness after birth [11]
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