Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a major psychological matter following childbirth and may be correlated to detrimental effect for the mother, spouse, infants, and children. The risk factors for PPD among postpartum women have been studied, and yet the mechanisms of these factors are still imprecise. This study aimed to examine the direct and mediating effects of different coping styles in the relationship between the dyadic adjustment and PPD among postpartum women.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was administered to 626 delivery women who have been given birth in a tertiary hospital. Sociodemographic and obstetric data were measured by a self-developed questionnaire. The Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ), and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) were performed to measure the marital adaptation status, coping styles, and depressive symptoms of postpartum women, respectively. Furthermore, the direct and mediating effects analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling.
Results: The prevalence of PPD was 22.6% in this study. The standardized path coefficients from the dimensions of dyadic adjustment to PPD (Dyadic consensus: β=﹣0.16, P﹤0.01, Affectional expression: β=﹣0.14, P﹤0.01, Dyadic cohesion: β=﹣0.10, P﹤0.05) achieved significance but Dyadic satisfaction (β=﹣0.06, P=0.19). Positive coping styles played a mediating role in the effect of Dyadic consensus and Dyadic satisfaction on EPDS (95% CI: − 0.036, −0.001, P﹤0.05; 95% CI: − 0.081, −0.008, P﹤0.05, respectively), negative coping style played a mediating role in the effect of Dyadic satisfaction and Dyadic cohesion on EPDS (95% CI: −0.111, −0.025, P﹤0.05; 95% CI: −0.139, −0.044, P=0.001, respectively).
Conclusion: Higher level of marital quality diluted the likelihood of PPD directly as well as indirectly through the mediating roles of coping styles. Thusly, ameliorating the quality and adjustment status of marital, employing positive coping style at once could assist to improve maternalpsychological health.