Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Institute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
School of Behavioral Sciences, The Academic College of Tel-Aviv Yaffo, Tel-Aviv, Israel; Psychiatry Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
J Affect Disord. 2024 Mar 1;348:378-388. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.12.044. Epub 2023 Dec 26.
Previous research suggests that a negative birth experience is associated with symptoms of postpartum depression and anxiety in mothers and partners. However, this has mostly been investigated within the first year postpartum and research on the long-term effects is lacking. Additionally, the role of relationship satisfaction and the interdependence between parents have not been considered so far.
Couples (N = 1992) completed questionnaires on their birth experience, relationship satisfaction, and symptoms of depression and anxiety at two months, 14 months, and two years after birth, respectively.
Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Models indicated no partner effects, but several significant actor and indirect effects. A more positive birth experience was associated with higher relationship satisfaction and less depression and anxiety symptoms for both parents. Higher relationship satisfaction was in turn associated with less depression (mothers and partners) and anxiety symptoms (mothers). The association between birth experience and depression symptoms was partially mediated by relationship satisfaction for mothers and partners, while the association between birth experience and anxiety symptoms was partially mediated by relationship satisfaction only for mothers.
Due to the highly educated, very healthy sample with low levels of depression and anxiety as well as high relationship satisfaction, results cannot be generalized to less privileged parents. Moreover, all effects were very small.
Results highlight the importance of a positive birth experience for parents' relationship satisfaction and mental health. Negative birth experiences need to be avoided to prevent a negative impact on the whole family.
先前的研究表明，负面的分娩经历与母亲和伴侣产后抑郁和焦虑症状有关。然而，这主要是在产后一年内进行的调查，缺乏关于长期影响的研究。此外，到目前为止，还没有考虑到关系满意度和父母之间的相互依存关系。
分别在分娩后两个月、14 个月和两年，1992 对夫妇完成了关于分娩经历、关系满意度和抑郁焦虑症状的问卷调查。
主体间相互依赖中介模型表明没有伴侣效应，但有几个显著的主体和间接效应。更积极的分娩经历与父母双方更高的关系满意度和更少的抑郁和焦虑症状有关。较高的关系满意度反过来又与母亲和伴侣的抑郁症状（母亲和伴侣）以及母亲的焦虑症状有关。分娩经历与抑郁症状的关系部分通过母亲和伴侣的关系满意度来调节，而分娩经历与焦虑症状的关系则仅通过母亲的关系满意度来部分调节。
由于受教育程度高、非常健康、抑郁和焦虑水平低、关系满意度高的样本，结果不能推广到条件较差的父母。此外，所有的影响都非常小。
结果强调了积极的分娩经历对父母关系满意度和心理健康的重要性。为了防止对整个家庭产生负面影响，需要避免负面的分娩经历。
