Abstract
Introduction: This study investigated the relationship between personal and family resources (i.e., social support, family functioning, self-efficacy in care, sense of coherence and perceived burden of care) and depressive and anxiety symptoms in women during the puerperium, adjusting for stressors. Methods: This is a quantitative research design, carried out through a descriptive, cross-sectional correlation study. This study includes 212 women over the age of 19 who gave birth from March to September 2019 in Maternal and Child Hospital of Jaén (Spain). Women were selected during the immediate postpartum period. The variables analysed were postpartum depressive symptoms (Edinburgh scale), anxiety symptoms (STAI state anxiety questionnaire), perceived social support (Duke-UNC-11), family functioning (family APGAR), self-efficacy in care (Lawton), sense of coherence (SOC-13), perceived burden (Caregiver Strain Index) and stressful life events (Holmes and Rahe). The main analysis consisted of a multiple linear regression. Results: The regression model of depressive symptoms found a positive association with perceived burden (β = 0.230, p = 0.015) and negative associations with self-efficacy in care (β = −0.348, p < 0.001), social support (β = −0.161, p < 0.001) and sense of coherence (β = −0.081, p = 0.001). The regression model of anxiety symptoms obtained a positive association with perceived burden (β = 1.052, p < 0.001) and negative associations with self-efficacy in care (β = −0.329, p = 0.041), social support (β = −0.234, p = 0.001) and sense of coherence (β = −0.262, p < 0.001). Discussion: Firstly, depressive and anxiety symptoms in the puerperium period may be more prevalent than in other periods of a woman’s life. Secondly, perceived social support, self-efficacy in caring for the newborn and sense of coherence may be protective factors for depressive and anxiety symptoms in the puerperium period. Finally, perceived burden in caring for the newborn may be a risk factor for these symptoms.
Highlights
This study investigated the relationship between personal and family resources and depressive and anxiety symptoms in women during the puerperium, adjusting for stressors
47.6% of participants had university studies, and 90.1% of women reported that pregnancy had been sought
The differences could be due to the fact that the questionnaires used are screening tools, so they can overestimate the presence of the disorders [65], the cut-off point used in the questionnaires [65] or even the moment at which the prevalence is measured [66]
Summary
This study investigated the relationship between personal and family resources (i.e., social support, family functioning, self-efficacy in care, sense of coherence and perceived burden of care) and depressive and anxiety symptoms in women during the puerperium, adjusting for stressors. The postpartum or puerperium period is defined as the period of 6–8 weeks beginning 1 h after the birth of the foetus and the expulsion of the placenta, and it reflects the approximate time needed for uterine involution and return of most maternal organic systems to their pre-pregnancy state; it is characterised by psychosocial adaptations, including changes in parental role [1,2], modifications in family relationships [3] and alterations in self-perception and body image [4] It represents a period of special vulnerability for women in the appearance of different psychological disorders, especially depressive symptoms [1] and anxiety [5]. Public Health 2020, 17, 5230; doi:10.3390/ijerph17145230 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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