Postnatal depressive symptoms mediate the relation between prenatal role overload and responsiveness among first-time mothers

ABSTRACT

Background

This study examined the association between prenatal role overload and maternal responsiveness, with postnatal depressive symptoms as a mediator.

Methods

Participants were 127 first-time mothers in Hong Kong (M = 32.8, SD = 4.0). Participants completed data collection for self-report on prenatal role overload (Time 1) in the third trimester of pregnancy, postnatal depressive symptoms (Time 2) at 4-month postpartum and maternal responsiveness (Time 3) at 9-month postpartum. The hypothesised mediation model was tested with the Hayes PROCESS macro (model 4).

Results

Time 1 prenatal role overload was not directly predictive of later responsiveness (B = −0.06, p = .270). However, the indirect effect of Time 2 postnatal depressive symptoms in the association between Time 1 prenatal role overload and Time 3 responsiveness was significant (unstandardised effect = −0.03, 95% Bootstrapping CI = [−0.081, −0.001]; standardised effect = −0.06, 95% Bootstrapping CI = [−0.152, −0.002]).

Conclusion

Findings highlighted that more attention is required to the support provided to first-time expectant mothers to prevent role overload, and that intervention for postnatal depressive symptoms may focus on role overload. The findings also highlighted that postnatal depressive symptoms could be a promising way to increase maternal responsiveness.

KEYWORDS:

• Prenatal role overload
• postnatal depressive symptoms
• maternal responsiveness
• first-time mothers
• transition to motherhood

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to sincerely thank Zenith Medical Centre for its assistance in recruiting participants for the study. The authors would also like to thank the research assistants who offered assistance in data collection and participants who participated in this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Research Grant Council [GRF18609421] and the Department of Early Childhood Education [DRG2018-19/003]. The funders were not involved in the study design; collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the article for publication.