Self-criticism, negative automatic thoughts and postpartum depressive symptoms: the buffering effect of self-compassion

ABSTRACT

Objective: This study aimed to explore the direct and indirect effects of self-criticism on postpartum depressive symptoms, through postpartum cognitions, and analyse the moderating role of self-compassion in this relationship.

Background: Self-criticism and self-compassion are associated with postpartum depression. However, further research is needed to understand how these mechanisms operate in the development/maintenance of depressive symptoms.

Methods: 686 women in the postpartum period (up to 12 months after birth) recruited in-person and online answered a cross-sectional survey.

Results: The effect of self-criticism on postpartum depressive symptoms occurred sequentially, increasing the frequency of negative automatic thoughts and subsequently the metacognitive appraisal of these thoughts. Self-compassion had a moderating effect only on the relation between self-criticism and postpartum cognitions. The effect of self-criticism on postpartum cognitions decreased in the presence of higher self-compassion.

Conclusion: This study emphasises the negative effect of a self-critical thinking style and of a negative appraisal of thought’s content on depression symptoms. Moreover, this work underscores the buffering role of self-compassion in the relationship between self-criticism and postpartum cognitions. These results highlight the need to address the reduction of self-criticism and the promotion of self-compassion strategies to deal with postpartum cognitions, in order to prevent and treat postpartum depressive symptoms.

KEYWORDS:

• Depressive symptoms
• negative automatic thoughts
• postpartum
• self-compassion
• self-criticism

Acknowledgements

This study is part of the Relationships, Development & Health Research Group of the R&D Unit Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive-Behavioural Intervention (CINEICC) of the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra (PEst-OE/PSI/UI0730/2014). Ana Fonseca was supported by a post-doctoral grant from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (SFRH/BPD/93996/2013).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia [SFRH/BPD/93996/2013].