The relationship of social support perceived by mothers and fathers and dyadic adjustment with maternal and paternal attachment in the postpartum period.

Abstract

This descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional study included mothers (n=170) and fathers (n=173) with 6- to 12-month-old babies. A personal information form, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS), the Maternal Attachment Inventory (MAI), and the Postnatal Paternal-Infant Attachment Questionnaire (PPAQ) were used to gather information. Mothers' median scores were 64 (27-84) for MSPSS, 57 (21-69) for RDAS, and 102 (92-104) for MAI. Fathers' median scores were 53 (24-84) for MSPSS, 57 (40-69) for RDAS, and 84 (57-94) for PPAQ. In mothers, a significant, moderate, positive correlation was found between the median scores of MSPSS and RDAS (r=.521; p<.001) and MAI (r=.362; p<.001). This relationship was also the same for the RDAS and MAI median scores (r=.299; p<.001). For fathers, a significant, low-level, positive correlation was found between median scores of MSPSS and RDAS (r=.53; p=.044) and PPAQ (r=.164; p=.031). A significant, moderate, positive correlation was also found between RDAS and PPAQ median scores (r=.468; p<.001). This study found that baby attachment increases with increasing social support for mothers and fathers and dyadic adjustment. In postnatal follow-ups, women's health nurses and midwives should assess the social support, dyadic adjustment, and attachment levels of mothers and fathers.