Family function fully mediates the relationship between social support and depression among antenatal and postpartum women in rural Southwest China

Abstract

Background: Antenatal and postpartum depression is the most common complication of gestation and childbearing affecting women and their families, and good social support and family function are considered the protective and modifiable factors. This study aimed to investigate the depression status and to clarify the interrelationships between social support and depression considering the influence of family function among antenatal and postpartum women in rural areas of Southwest China.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. Data were collected from a total of 490 rural antenatal (N=249) and postpartum(N=241) women (age: 28.17± 5.12). A structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesized relationships among the variables. The following instruments were used: the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS), the APGAR Family Care Index Scale, and the Social Support Rate Scale (SSRS).Results: We found that the prevalence of depression 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. Conclusions: Findings of this study highlight that family function should be considered as the key target for interventions aiming to lower the prevalence of antenatal and postpartum depression. Family members interventions are critical to reduce depression among antenatal and postpartum women.