Postpartum Depressive Symptoms: Risks for Czech and Thai Mothers

Abstract

Multiple psychosocial risk factors are linked to women’s experience of postpartum depressive symptoms worldwide. This study focused on mothers in the Czech Republic ( n = 126) and Thailand ( n = 161), two countries where little research on mothers’ experiences of postpartum depressive symptoms (PPDS) has been conducted. Measures included the Postpartum Social Support Questionnaire, Parenting Sense of Competence Scale, Quality of Relationships Inventory, Dysfunctional Attitude Scale-Form A-17, and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Hierarchical linear regression analyses indicated that for Czech mothers, financial concerns, partner conflict, perfectionism, maternal efficacy, and parental support were significantly related to PPDS. For Thai mothers, only partner conflict and perfectionism were significantly related to PPDS. Cultural implications for childbirth educators are discussed in the context of these risk factors.