Aim of the studyThis study aims to evaluate the impact of the lack of family support in post-partum on the maternal psychic state and its evolution, 6 months after the childbirth. Patients and methodThirty-five primiparous mothers, living maritally, having benefited from the services of home medical care via their maternity. After the inclusion of the mothers during the first month, psychologists-researchers went to the family home. Two groups were created (with family support and without family support) after the participants had filled out the Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ6) of Sarason et al. (1983) at T1–2 weeks and T2–6 weeks. Maternal distress was estimated 4 times (T1–2 weeks, T2–6 weeks, T3–3 months, T4–6 months) by Edinburgh Postnatal depression Scale of Cox, Holden and Sagovsky (1987) translated and validated in French by Guedeney et al., (1995) and the inventory of anxiety (STAI-YA/YB) of Spielberger (1976), validated in French by Bruchon-Schweitzer and Paulhan (1993). ResultsIn our sample, 21.3% of mothers show signs of depression, 31.8% have a high anxiety state and 22.7% have high anxiety-trait. While the mothers with family support are 11,8% to present signs of depression, they are 29,2% in the group without family support. As regards the anxiety state, mothers without family support are 41,5% to present a high state of anxiety, while the mothers of the group with family support are 19,9%. Finally, less than one third (26,9%) of the mothers without family support presents a high anxious trait, against 17,8% in the group of the steady mothers. Inter-group comparisons show that mothers who have not received family support have higher rates of depression and anxiety and repeated measures ANOVAs show that mothers without family support present signs of maternal distress 6 months after their childbirth. In contrast, mothers who benefited family support stop showing signs of maternal distress, 3 months after childbirth. ConclusionFamily support has an impact on the intensity and evolution of signs of maternal distress (depression and anxiety) from birth to 6 months. This research shows the importance of taking into account the reality of extended family support in the immediate post-partum period, during the first 2 months. Limits of the study are indicated.