JURNAL INTERNASIONAL KEBIDANAN 2020-2023 UNIVERSITAS KEDOKTERAN GUILAN VOLUME 31 ISSUE 2.
JOURNAL OF HOLISTIC NURSING OF MIDWIFERY.
The Relationship Between Social Support and Postpartum Depression

JURNAL INTERNASIONAL KEBIDANAN 2020-2023 UNIVERSITAS KEDOKTERAN GUILAN VOLUME 31 ISSUE 2.
JOURNAL OF HOLISTIC NURSING OF MIDWIFERY.
The Relationship Between Social Support and Postpartum Depression

Depression, Postpartum depression, Social support, Women

Introduction: Postpartum depression is a common and severe problem that has adverse effects on
maternal and family health. Social support is one of the determinants of health, and in recent years has
received increasing attention, and its overlook is a significant risk factor for postpartum depression.
Objective: This study aimed to determine the relationship between social support and postpartum
depression in women referring to comprehensive health centers in Rasht City, Iran.
Materials and Methods: The present study is a cross-sectional, analytical study performed on
300 mothers referred to the comprehensive health service centers in Rasht 2-4 weeks after their
deliveries. They were selected by cluster sampling method, which was done systematically within
each cluster. The study data were collected using a three-part questionnaire of demographic
characteristics, Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS), and Hopkins social support. The

obtained data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (t-test, Friedman, Mann-
Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, Spearman correlation coefficient, and rank logistic regression).

Results: The results showed that the Mean±SD age of the study mothers was 29±5.3 years. About
63.7% of mothers had low postpartum depression, and their Mean±SD total score of social support
was 64.03±16.92. The most support received from the spouses and parents. There was a statistically
significant relationship between social support received by mothers after childbirth with education
level (P=0.003), job (P=0.001), spouses’ job (P=0.001), income (P=0.001), residence status (P=0.043),
number of deliveries (P=0.05) and pregnancy desire (P=0.047) and there was a significant inverse
correlation between depression score and social support score by spouses (P=0.004, r=-0.167),
parents (P=0.002, r=-0.176) and total social support score (P=0.024, r =-0.130). After adjusting for
individual social variables, the effect of social support score on the part of the spouses (P=0.001),
parents (P=0.006), friends, and relatives (P=0.033) continued to be associated with the severity
of depression. Also, the number of deliveries (P=0.05) and h spouses’ jobs (self-employed) were
significant compared to the unemployed ones (P=0.049).
Conclusion: The results showed a significant and inverse relationship between social support
and symptoms of postpartum depression. Although these results show the most support from
spouses and parents, the amount of support received in the area of spouses’ ​​parents, friends, and
relatives were low. It is necessary to draw the attention of midwives and health care providers to
mothers and inform them about the importance of social support and its prominent role in reducing
postpartum depression.

Sayareh Hajipoor , Sedigheh Pakseresht , Maryam Niknami , Zahra Atrkar Roshan , Sima Nikandish

April 2021, Volume 31, Number 2

peri irawan

pdf

english

text