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Multiple domains of stress predict postpartum depressive symptoms in low-income Mexican American women: the moderating effect of social support

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Abstract

Prenatal stress can have a lasting effect on women’s mental health after childbirth. The negative effects may be particularly salient in women from low income and ethnic minority backgrounds, who are at increased risk for postpartum depression. However, social support may have the potential to attenuate the negative impact of stress. The present study evaluated 269 Mexican American women (ages 18–42; 83 % Spanish-speaking; median income $10,000–$15,000) for prenatal stress (daily hassles, family stress, partner stress, and culture-specific stress) in relation to depressive symptoms 6 weeks postpartum. Prenatal social support was examined as a buffer against the impact of prenatal stress. Partner stress, family stress, and daily hassles uniquely predicted depressive symptoms. Moderate and high levels of social support attenuated risk for depression due to family stressors. Prenatal interpersonal and daily stressors negatively impact the mental health of women after birth, but social support can mitigate some of these effects. Among Mexican American pregnant women, effective interpersonal support and stress management may be associated with reduced risk for postpartum depression.

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Acknowledgments

This study is supported by a grant, R01 NIMH MH083173 (MPIs: Keith Crnic, Nancy Gonzales and Linda Luecken). The first author of this manuscript was supported by an institutional training grant, T32 MH18387, NIMH. We thank the mothers and infants for their participation: Kirsten Letham, Anne Mauricio, Monica Gutierrez, and Craig Enders, for their assistance with data collection and management; Dr. Dean Coonrod and the Maricopa Integrated Health Systems for their assistance with recruitment; and the interviewers for their commitment and dedication to this project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

    Shayna S. Coburn, N. A. Gonzales, L. J. Luecken & K. A. Crnic

  2. Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Shayna S. Coburn

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  1. Shayna S. Coburn
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  2. N. A. Gonzales
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  3. L. J. Luecken
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  4. K. A. Crnic
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Correspondence to Shayna S. Coburn.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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The authors of this manuscript have no potential conflicts of interests, including financial interests or gains.

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Coburn, S.S., Gonzales, N.A., Luecken, L.J. et al. Multiple domains of stress predict postpartum depressive symptoms in low-income Mexican American women: the moderating effect of social support. Arch Womens Ment Health 19, 1009–1018 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-016-0649-x

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