Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health (Aug 2021)

More to lose? Longitudinal evidence that women whose social support declines following childbirth are at increased risk of depression

  • Magen Seymour‐Smith,
  • Tegan Cruwys,
  • S. Alexander Haslam

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.13099
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 45, no. 4
pp. 338 – 343

Abstract

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Abstract Objective: We examined the dynamic relationship between life changes (pregnancy and childbirth) and social support during the postpartum period. Methods: A large, nationally representative sample of Australian women (N=806) who completed the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey (HILDA) in the year immediately before and immediately after giving birth to a child reported on measures of perceived social support and mental health. Results: Analyses indicated a decrease in both social support and mental health after having a baby. Social support during the postpartum period – controlling for social support and mental health prior to the birth of a baby – predicted better mental health in women. However, for women who experienced a decline in social support, prenatal social support was a risk factor for a decline in mental wellbeing rather than a protective factor. Conclusions: Women who have ‘more to lose’ are at increased risk of mental ill‐health if they cannot maintain existing sources of social support. Implications for public health: Loss of social support during pregnancy and the postpartum period should be considered as a significant risk factor for postpartum depression in its own right and one that warrants screening and intervention.

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