The mediating role of postpartum depression between mother-infant contact barriers and maternal attachment: a cross-sectional study from Turkey.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of postpartum depression in the relationship between mother-infant contact barriers and maternal attachment in mothers of premature infants.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 113 mothers who applied to the pediatric outpatient clinic of a hospital between April and November 2022 and whose premature babies were discharged at least 1 month ago. The data were collected using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the Mother-Infant Contact Barriers Scale, and the Maternal Attachment Scale.

Results: The mothers' mean Maternal Attachment Scale score was 82.25±10.57, the mean Mother-Infant Contact Barriers Scale score was 60.65±17.87, and the mean Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score was 18.41±8.38. The mean Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score of 78.8% (n=89) of the mothers was 14 and above. There was a statistically significant positive effect of the Mother-Infant Contact Barriers Scale on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (B=0.95, p<0.001) and a statistically significant negative effect of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale on the Maternal Attachment Scale (B=-0.29, p<0.001). Hence, it was found that the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (B=-0.27, p<0.001) played a mediating role in the impact of the Mother-Infant Contact Barriers Scale on the Maternal Attachment Scale.

Conclusion: Accordingly, it can be stated that maternal attachment decreases and postpartum depression increases as mother-infant contact barriers increase.