Effects of Parenting Stress, Sleep Quality, Self-Compassion and Family Relationship on Mothers’ Postpartum Depression

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of parenting stress, sleep quality, self-compassion, and family relationship on mothers’ postpartum depression. Methods: The participants were 141 postpartum mothers within 6 months of childbirth who completed self-report questionnaires consisting of the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Self-Compassion Scale, and Family Relationship Assessment Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression using IBM SPSS/WIN 27.0. Results: Postpartum depression was positively associated with parenting stress and sleep quality, but negatively related to self-compassion and family relationship. Multiple regression analysis showed that parenting stress, sleep quality, self-compassion and family relationship were significant factors with an explanation power of approximately 59% of the variance in postpartum depression. Conclusion: The findings suggest that it is necessary to develop nursing interventions to enhance family relationships and reduce parenting stress to prevent postpartum depression.