Personality Traits and Postnatal Depression: The Mediated Role of Postnatal Anxiety and Moderated Role of Type of Birth

Abstract

This study investigated how personality traits are related to postnatal depression 2 weeks after giving birth and whether these relations are mediated by postnatal anxiety, measured after 3–4 days after giving birth and moderated by the type of birth. New mothers ( N = 672, M age = 29.33) completed scales assessing their personality traits, postnatal anxiety, and postnatal depression 3 or 4 days after giving birth (T1). They also reported postnatal depression 2 weeks after giving birth (T2). Path analysis indicated that postnatal anxiety explained the link between personality traits (i.e., neuroticism) and postnatal depression 2 weeks after childbirth. The type of birth moderated the relation among, personality traits, postnatal anxiety and depression. Neuroticism and consciousness, in the natural birth’s group, and neuroticism and agreeableness, in the cesarean birth’s group, were associated with postnatal depression. Further, anxiety explained the relation between neuroticism and postnatal depression in both natural and cesarean birth groups. In addition, postnatal anxiety mediated the relation between extraversion and postnatal depression in the cesarean birth group. Our findings highlight that postnatal anxiety is a potential mechanism explaining how personality traits (i.e., neuroticism, extraversion) are related to postnatal depression, and that these relations may depend on the type of childbirth.

Maternal personality, social support, and changes in depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms during pregnancy and after delivery: A prospective-longitudinal study

“…Examining the role of personality revealed that more emotionally stable women experienced lower depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms across the peripartum period. These results correspond to cross-sectional and longitudinal findings that more emotionally stable women were at lower risk of peripartum psychopathological symptoms and mental disorders [54][55][56][57][58][59][60]. At the same time, we found that more emotionally stable women more strongly increased in anxiety symptoms during pregnancy.…”

“…During pregnancy and after delivery, (expectant) mothers are confronted with manifold changes concerning their body, their family, and their social identity [1][2][3][4]. As suggested by previous research, their personality [54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63] and levels of perceived social support [5,[69][70][71] might crucially affect how they adjust to these changes and whether they do or do not experience alterations in depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms across the peripartum period. Psychopathological symptoms and elevated distress during pregnancy and after delivery have been associated with multiple adversities (e.g., an impaired mother-child-relationship) [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21], which in turn have been linked to developmental problems in the offspring [12,[18][19][20][21].…”

“…Personality refers to individual differences in feelings, thoughts, and behavior [52] that can be well described with the Big Five personality traits openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and emotional stability [53]. Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies evidenced that more emotionally stable women were at lower risk for depressive and anxiety symptoms and disorders during pregnancy and after delivery [54][55][56][57][58][59][60]. Some studies also found that higher levels on other Big Five personality traits-especially extraversion [55,[61][62][63] and conscientiousness [55,63]-were associated with a lower risk for peripartum depression or anxiety.…”

“…Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies evidenced that more emotionally stable women were at lower risk for depressive and anxiety symptoms and disorders during pregnancy and after delivery [ 54 – 60 ]. Some studies also found that higher levels on other Big Five personality traits—especially extraversion [ 55 , 61 – 63 ] and conscientiousness [ 55 , 63 ]—were associated with a lower risk for peripartum depression or anxiety. However, the predictive role of individual Big Five personality traits for changes in depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms during pregnancy and after delivery remains an open question.…”

Parenting Style and Emotional Distress Among Chinese College Students: A Potential Mediating Role of the Zhongyong Thinking Style

“…The diathesis-stress model could help explain why Zhongyong thinking could be related to college student’s emotion. Based on the diathesis-stress model, individuals with some personality traits, such as poor self-esteem ( Nguyen et al, 2019 ), low self-directedness and cooperativeness ( Lim et al, 2018 ), low agreeableness ( Roman et al, 2019 ), and high perfectionism ( Bußenius and Harendza, 2019 ), may predispose them to develop more depression and anxiety symptoms. Results from two cross-sectional studies demonstrated that Chinese adults with high level of Zhongyong thinking style had few depressive and anxiety symptoms ( Zhan et al, 2013 ; Yang et al, 2016 ).…”