Introduction
Postpartum depression (PPD) is an endowment of depression that has a family resemblance to drug addiction, and it is a condition that women are likely to develop after childbirth. Often, it triggers a lot of physical symptoms such as too little energy, anger, anxiety and sadness, hopelessness, loneliness and the inability to care for the baby. Along with physical health, this issue is one of the central disorders of psychological well-being, affecting 20% of the population of mothers around the world. Intimate Partner violence (IPV) in an intimate relationship is always physical, from negligent to major, psychological or sexual or all from the abuser to the victim’s health. It has been regarded as a vital component in the way postpartum depression can begin and develop. This article explores the underlying intimacy perspective in attitudes toward postpartum depression, but it also investigates how partner abuse is associated with such circumstances. Inquiring into the relation of these phenomena is pivotal for the creation of the answer for mothers who are depressed birthing. Moreover, internalizing the significance of intimacy in connection with postpartum depression will shed light on successful prevention techniques and healing methods that target emotional and relational components of maternal emotional well-being.
Article 1: Bogdan, I., & Turliuc, M. N. (2023)
Background
Bogdan and Turliuc’s (2023) research on a well-established topic of postpartum depression (PPD) that is strongly associated with women giving birth. Even though previous research has pointed out the role of marital quality in postpartum depression, the investigatory scrutiny towards the impact that intimacy has on PPD, particularly among the moments that are first-time mothers, is still in its infancy. The authors argue that looking at the role that intimacy, maternal self-efficacy and partner occupational stress play in PPD is incredibly fertile ground for research. As they mention, “the literature investigating the links between intimacy and postpartum depression in primiparous women is scarce” (Bogdan & Turliuc, 2023, p. 3340), which emphasizes the research need in these areas so that the gaps in information can be bridged and the support of primiparous women suffering from PPD can be increased
Hypothesis
The Bogdan and Turliuc (2023) hypothesis is that the relationship between higher intimacy and depression, particularly postpartum depression (PPD), is that higher emotional intimacy would be associated with a decline in depression. The present study aims to investigate the connection between intimacy and PPD, developing a hypothesis that the partners’ higher level of intimacy can be an etiologic factor that can decrease the level of PPD among postpartum women. Additionally, they considered religiosity and the partner’s religiosity as significant covariates in their moderated mediation model.
Methods
The study employed a non-experimental cross-sectional design with a sample of 85 first-time parent couples in Romania. Data were collected through self-report questionnaires between November and December 2019. Mothers completed measures of intimacy, maternal self-efficacy, PPD, and religiosity. At the same time, fathers completed scales for job stress and religiosity. The study utilized the personal assessment of intimacy in relationships (PAIR) for intimacy. The perceived maternal parental self-efficacy (PMP S-E) for maternal self-efficacy. While the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale (EPDS) for PPD and the Questionnaire for Evaluating Religiosity in Orthodox Families (CRF) for religiosity.
Results
The findings of Bogdan and Turliuc’s study agree with their hypothesis with some given points, such as. First, the study revealed that the more intimate marital relationships the new moms established with their husbands, the lower the risk of them experiencing postpartum depression symptoms. This association was negative, and the correlation coefficient equals -0.345 (p < 0.05). During the research, it was revealed that the higher levels of intimacy between the partners of the mothers and fathers, respectively, are correlated with the low PPD levels in the first-time moms. To that concern, the authors write, “Intimacy is negatively related to postpartum depression” (Bogdan & Turliuc, 2023, p. 3341), showing how a close and connected relationship helps mitigate depression. The implied value of self-efficacy was only partially involved in the relationship between closeness and depressive disorder during pregnancy. The relationship between low levels of intimacy and the appearance of PPD is complicated as a feeling of competence as a mother is shown to help mitigate this effect; thus, this finding points to the fact that maternal self-efficacy is not low. The study underscores that “higher self-efficacy levels are associated with lower levels of postpartum depression” (Bogdan & Turliuc, 2023, p. 3341). They are emphasizing the importance of fostering maternal confidence.
Additionally, the partner’s job stress, which can act as a modernizer, extinguishes the association between intimacy and maternal self-efficiency. The above indicates that the stress experienced by the partner at work varies the respondent’s level of PPD to their children, thus making more complex the tie between intimacy, self-efficacy, and being a good mother. In addition, the study found that maternal religiosity and partner religiosity were the factors that explained the mediation model with statistical significance. The PPD that has a mother was positively correlated with religiosity, but it was the inverse with the partner’s religiosity. Hence, it can be assumed that religious connections and worship link with PPD (Bogdan & Turliuc, 2023). In general, the whole study indicates the complex interplay of intimate interpersonal relations, maternal self-efficacy, part-time job pressure, and religious involvement in the incidence of PPD. Researchers conclude that multidimensional models are missing in addressing PPD as they must be comprehensively approached holistically to consider both individual and relational aspects.
Article 2: Ankerstjerne, L. B. S., et al. (2022)
Background
According to the widespread hypothesis, IPV is linked to the increased risk of PPD as the negative influence of IPV takes place both in the immediate moment and over a long time. Suppose that Ankerstjerne et al. (2022) did a systematic review to examine whether participants who are exposed to interpersonal violence could develop postnatal depressive disorder or not.
Hypothesis
The systemic review study hypothesizes that IPV may cause pregnancy, causing the risk of developing PPD to increase. This study looked into scientific evidence behind the relationship and the relation between exposure to IPV and PPD. It was assumed that IPV can be a significant factor for PPD.
Methods
The Review included thirty-three articles pooling 131,131 participants in total, who were on trial involving different exercise forms specified in the articles. The total assessment used the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for all research, most of which were in the ‘good quality‘ category. The report determined that nearly all (88%) of the assessed studies identified a link between IPV exposure and the subsequent manifestation of symptoms of PPD. Several studies reporting the adjusted odds ratios (aOR) findings from 1.18 to 6.87 (95% CI 1.12 to 11.78) indicate that women who experience IPV will suffer PPD from 13% to 69%.
Results
The Review observed that the studies utilized different ways of measuring their exposure and the outcome of various confounders. Hence, IPV and PPD association across different settings was statistically insignificant, with at most 30% of the research settings of low and lower economies on reform and most in higher-middle class incomes. Ankerstjerne et al. (2022) concluded that the systematic reviews suggested that exposure to IPV may correspond to the development of PPD symptoms. The study stresses the importance of future research to establish the actual link size between the two phenomena. They note that these studies may need a meta-analysis or individual patient data meta-analysis. This statement suggests that tackling IPV in maternal healthcare may represent an imperative measure to prevent the consequences of PPD.
Conclusion
The studies of Bogdan and Turliuc (2023) and Ankerstjerne et al. (2022) help us understand the intimate connection between intimate partner violence and postpartum depression, their roles and how their interplay influences women’s health. Research not only illuminates the role of closeness and IP abuse in reducing postpartum depression susceptibility but also draws attention to the need to develop interventions to tackle intimate partner violence. In these then, I synchronized that both positive and negative things in an intimate relationship do influence maternal mental health in a big way. The conclusions of these studies concur with the other findings that social and emotional support, as well as the presence of healthy relationships, are the significant factors critical to the mental health of mothers, especially in the pot period after childbirth. Such research points to the requirement that healthcare providers should consider the social facets of postpartum depression and also should include relational assessments along with interventions dealing with the material relationship dynamics as a crucial part of maternal healthcare. In my approach to the subject and the assimilation of findings, the adoption of a wholesome framework embracing both the emotional and social sides of the issue is encouraged. The measures tackled at increasing satisfaction, which is associated with a relationship, and reducing domestic violence can have a positive effect on the prevention and treatment of postpartum depression. This knowledge enables us to create better systems that cater to the needs of new moms, which ultimately, consequently, is beneficial as it leads to the well-being of the family and the community at large.
References
Ankerstjerne, L. B. S., Laizer, S. N., Andreasen, K., Normann, A. K., Wu, C., Linde, D. S., & Rasch, V. (2022). Landscaping the evidence of intimate partner violence and postpartum depression: a systematic review. BMJ open, 12(5), e051426. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-051426
Bogdan, I., & Turliuc, M. N. (2023). Intimacy and Postpartum Depression: A Moderated Mediation Model. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 32(11), 3338-3349. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10826-022-02461-4
write