Perceived stress, marital satisfaction, and prenatal depression among couples with gestational diabetes mellitus

ABSTRACT

Objective

This study aimed to explore the prevalence of prenatal depression and to determine the dyadic relationship between perceived stress, marital satisfaction, and prenatal depression in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and their partners.

Background

GDM during pregnancy is a very stressful event for couples. However, previous studies have largely focused on pregnant women, with few including their partners.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in Guangzhou, China, from 30 July to 2 December 2021. Three hundred fourteen couples with GDM completed the Perceived Stress Scale, Locke–Wallace Marital Adjustment Scale, and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Dyadic analysis was conducted using the actor–partner interdependence mediation model.

Results

The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 13.4% in pregnant women with GDM and 8.3% in their partners. Regarding the actor effects, perceived stress was positively associated with prenatal depression in pregnant women with GDM and their partners, respectively, and marital satisfaction acted as a mediating role. Regarding the partner effects, paternal perceived stress was negatively associated with maternal marital satisfaction, and maternal marital satisfaction mediated the association between paternal perceived stress and maternal prenatal depression.

Conclusions

Dyadic effects of perceived stress, marital satisfaction, and prenatal depression exist in couples with GDM.

KEYWORDS:

• Couple
• gestational diabetes mellitus
• marital satisfaction
• perceived stress
• prenatal depression

Acknowledgments

We thank all the pregnant women with GDM and their partners who participated in the present study.

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the research grant ‘Development and evaluation of a precise intervention on physical inactivity to prevent gestational diabetes mellitus based on the ecological model’ (Grant No. 72174216) from the National Natural Science Foundation of China.