Tavares Daniela, Fidalgo Daniela, Sousa Matilde, Morais Ana, Jongenelen Inês, Lamela Diogo, Alves Stephanie, Costa Raquel, Pinto Tiago Miguel
Lusófona University, HEI-Lab: Digital Human-Environment Interaction Labs, Portugal.
Lusófona University, HEI-Lab: Digital Human-Environment Interaction Labs, Portugal; EPIUnit - Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Midwifery. 2025 May;144:104359. doi: 10.1016/j.midw.2025.104359. Epub 2025 Feb 28.
Partner support during childbirth is an important protective factor for women's perinatal mental health. However, its protective role in women experiencing vulnerabilities is largely unknown, namely in those with history of mental health problems.
This study analysed (1) the association between partner support during childbirth and depressive, anxiety, and childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in the postpartum period; and (2) the moderating role of previous diagnosis of mental health problems in those associations.
Cross-sectional study with 284 women.
At 2 months postpartum, participants reported on sociodemographic, obstetric, and mental health-related data, partner support during childbirth, and depressive (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale), anxiety (State Anxiety Inventory), and childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder (City Birth Trauma Scale) symptoms.
More partner support during childbirth was associated with lower depressive, anxiety, and childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. Previous diagnosis of mental health problems was associated with higher depressive, anxiety, and childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and moderated the association between partner support during childbirth and depressive and anxiety symptoms. Higher partner support during childbirth was associated with lower depressive and anxiety symptoms, only in women without a previous diagnosis of mental health problems.
Findings suggest that partner support during childbirth can be a protective factor for women's postpartum mental health, particularly for women without a previous diagnosis of mental health problems. However, for those with a previous diagnosis of mental health problems, this support was not associated with symptoms.
Women with a history of mental health problems may require additional support beyond that provided by their partners to prevent or mitigate postpartum mental health problems.
分娩期间伴侣的支持是女性围产期心理健康的重要保护因素。然而，其在处于脆弱状态的女性中的保护作用，尤其是在有心理健康问题病史的女性中，很大程度上尚不清楚。
本研究分析了（1）分娩期间伴侣支持与产后抑郁、焦虑及分娩相关创伤后应激障碍症状之间的关联；以及（2）既往心理健康问题诊断在这些关联中的调节作用。
对284名女性进行的横断面研究。
产后2个月时，参与者报告社会人口学、产科及心理健康相关数据、分娩期间伴侣的支持，以及抑郁（爱丁堡产后抑郁量表）、焦虑（状态焦虑量表）和分娩相关创伤后应激障碍（城市分娩创伤量表）症状。
分娩期间伴侣支持越多，抑郁、焦虑及分娩相关创伤后应激障碍症状越低。既往心理健康问题诊断与更高的抑郁、焦虑及分娩相关创伤后应激障碍症状相关，并调节了分娩期间伴侣支持与抑郁和焦虑症状之间的关联。仅在既往无心理健康问题诊断的女性中，分娩期间更高的伴侣支持与更低的抑郁和焦虑症状相关。
研究结果表明，分娩期间伴侣支持可能是女性产后心理健康的保护因素，尤其是对于既往无心理健康问题诊断的女性。然而，对于那些既往有心理健康问题诊断的女性，这种支持与症状无关。
有心理健康问题病史的女性可能需要伴侣支持之外的额外支持，以预防或减轻产后心理健康问题。
