Social Support, Infant Temperament, and Parenting Self-Efficacy: A Mediational Model of Postpartum Depression

Abstract

A model of maternal postpartum depression was tested in which difficult infant temperament was construed as a stressor and supportive interpersonal relationships were construed as a protective resource. It was hypothesized that both infant temperamental difficulty and level of social support would affect maternal depression through the cognitive mediation of perceived self-efficacy in the parenting role. Participants were 55 married women who were assessed during pregnancy and again 3 months postpartum. Infant temperament was assessed through observation, maternal crying records, and the Revised Infant Temperament Questionnaire. Results of a path analysis indicated that infant temperamental difficulty was strongly related to the mothers' level of postpartum depression, both directly and through the mediation of parenting self-efficacy. Consistent with predictions, social support appeared to exert its protective function against depression primarily through the mediation of self-efficacy. Both practical implications for identifying women at risk for postpartum depression and theoretical implications for understanding the mechanisms through which stressful events and social support affect adjustment are discussed.

A longitudinal study of postpartum depressive symptoms: multilevel growth curve analyses of emotion regulation strategies, breastfeeding self-efficacy, and social support

“…Women who perceived that they had a higher level of available support scored significantly lower on measures of PPD, which may imply that it is the feeling of not being alone that is crucial when becoming a mother. This is in accordance with previous research that demonstrates how a sense of a strong social network and the ability to count on others make up the fundamental protective elements of social support (Cutrona and Troutman 1986). Stern (1998) suggests that new mothers show an increased interest for other mothers and seek their company.…”

“…While some studies on PPD have examined the effect of general self-efficacy (Howell et al 2006) and maternal selfefficacy on PPD (Coleman and Karraker 1997; Cutrona and Troutman 1986), there are to our knowledge only two studies (Dai and Dennis 2003;Dennis 2003) that have examined how self-efficacy pertaining to breastfeeding relates to PPD. Their primary aim, however, was to assess the validity of the breastfeeding self-efficacy scale (BSES), rather than discuss the relationship between these variables.…”

Infant sleep problems: Origins, assessment, interventions

“…Maternal personality and maternal psychopathology have been identified as contributing factors to infant sleep problems (Coutrona & Troutman, 1986;Field, Healy, Goldstein, Perry, & Bendell, 1988;Field, Healy, & LeBlanc, 1989;Keener, Zeanah, & Anders, 1988;Scott & Richards, 1990;Zeanah, Keener, Anders, & Levine, 1986). Richman (198 1) reported that mothers of 1-to 2-year-old sleep-disturbed infants exhibited more psychopathology than mothers of control infants.…”

How Do Relationships Support Parenting? Effects of Attachment Style and Social Support on Parenting Behavior in an At‐Risk Population

“…Studies of the importance of supportive relationships to parenting fall into two primary categories: those that explore the effects of general social support provided by others, and those that focus more on parents' own relationship history and comfort with establishing interpersonal relationships (attachment style). This research generally finds evidence that parents who have sufficient positive social support, both in terms of perceived and received support (Abidin 1992;Andresen and Telleen 1992;Cutrona and Troutman 1986;Kotchick et al 2005), and who have secure working models of attachment (e.g., Bowlby 1973;Feeney 2002;Belsky et al 1986;Rholes et al 1995) have better relationships with their children and better parenting skills, as measured across a variety of domains.…”