Personal resources associated with peripartum depression among mothers of NICU hospitalised preterm infants

• Published in: Psychology & health 2022-06, Vol.37 (6), p.712-730
• Main Authors: Kestler-Peleg, Miri, Lavenda, Osnat
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: couple relationship; Intensive care; intolerance to uncertainty; Locus of control; maternal self-efficacy; Mothers; Neonatal care; Newborn babies; Postpartum depression; Premature babies; Preterm birth
• ISSN: 0887-0446; 1476-8321
• DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2021.1873336

The high prevalence of peripartum depression (PPD) among mothers of preterm infants concerns health professionals due to its implications for mothers' and infants' health. A model for explaining PPD, consisting of four personal resources was examined: locus of control, intolerance to uncertainty, maternal self-efficacy, and quality of the couple relationship. In one of the largest Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Israel, 129 mothers of 215 preterm infants completed self-report questionnaires regarding their background variables, locus of control, intolerance to uncertainty, maternal self-efficacy and quality of couple relationship. PPD symptoms and high risk for diagnosing clinical PPD. The examined personal resources explained 43.9% of the variance in PPD symptoms. Intolerance to uncertainty was positively associated with PPD symptoms, while internal locus of control, high levels of maternal self-efficacy, and high quality of couple relationships were found to be negatively associated with PPD symptoms. Additionally, these variables predicted the likelihood for clinical PPD. The findings indicate a potential likelihood of reducing PPD through healthcare professional interventions, by strengthening personal resources. Associations between personal resources and PPD are discussed in light of the transactional theory of coping.