The role of maternal mental health, infant temperament, and couple’s relationship quality for mother-infant bonding

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background Mother-infant bonding is the early emotional connection between mother and infant. It is affected by some aspects of maternal mental health, infant temperament, and the quality of a couple’s relationship. Objective This research aimed to determine the associations of the mother’s postnatal depression and anxiety symptoms, infant temperament, and the quality of the couple’s relationship with mother-infant bonding. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 241 Croatian mothers of infants aged between one month and one year (Mage = 6.34 months). The psychological instruments used in this study were: Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, Infant Characteristic Questionnaire, and Perceived Quality of Marital Relationship Scale . Results Hierarchical regression analyses showed that previous maternal depression longer than two weeks, postnatal depression and anxiety symptoms, and difficult and unpredictable infant temperament were associated with self-report of poorer mother-infant bonding. Of the examined variables, the quality of the couple’s relationship was in the lowest association with mother-infant bonding. Conclusion Given the importance of, in particular, the maternal depression and infant temperament for poor mother-infant bonding, early intervention and the reduction of risks factors may be necessary to prevent the development of such difficulties.