The Impact of Postpartum Posttraumatic Stress and Depression Symptoms on Couples’ Relationship Satisfaction: A Population-Based Prospective Study
The couple relationship is of particular importance in the transition to parenthood and in the early childhood years because it is related to the well-being and mental health of partners, children, and the family. One factor that may substantially influence relationship quality and couple satisfacti...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2018-09-01
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Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01728/full |
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record_format |
Article |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Susan Garthus-Niegel Susan Garthus-Niegel Antje Horsch Antje Horsch Eric Handtke Tilmann von Soest Susan Ayers Kerstin Weidner Malin Eberhard-Gran Malin Eberhard-Gran Malin Eberhard-Gran |
spellingShingle |
Susan Garthus-Niegel Susan Garthus-Niegel Antje Horsch Antje Horsch Eric Handtke Tilmann von Soest Susan Ayers Kerstin Weidner Malin Eberhard-Gran Malin Eberhard-Gran Malin Eberhard-Gran The Impact of Postpartum Posttraumatic Stress and Depression Symptoms on Couples’ Relationship Satisfaction: A Population-Based Prospective Study Frontiers in Psychology postpartum PTSD couples relationship satisfaction depression anxiety Akershus Birth Cohort |
author_facet |
Susan Garthus-Niegel Susan Garthus-Niegel Antje Horsch Antje Horsch Eric Handtke Tilmann von Soest Susan Ayers Kerstin Weidner Malin Eberhard-Gran Malin Eberhard-Gran Malin Eberhard-Gran |
author_sort |
Susan Garthus-Niegel |
title |
The Impact of Postpartum Posttraumatic Stress and Depression Symptoms on Couples’ Relationship Satisfaction: A Population-Based Prospective Study |
title_short |
The Impact of Postpartum Posttraumatic Stress and Depression Symptoms on Couples’ Relationship Satisfaction: A Population-Based Prospective Study |
title_full |
The Impact of Postpartum Posttraumatic Stress and Depression Symptoms on Couples’ Relationship Satisfaction: A Population-Based Prospective Study |
title_fullStr |
The Impact of Postpartum Posttraumatic Stress and Depression Symptoms on Couples’ Relationship Satisfaction: A Population-Based Prospective Study |
title_full_unstemmed |
The Impact of Postpartum Posttraumatic Stress and Depression Symptoms on Couples’ Relationship Satisfaction: A Population-Based Prospective Study |
title_sort |
impact of postpartum posttraumatic stress and depression symptoms on couples’ relationship satisfaction: a population-based prospective study |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
series |
Frontiers in Psychology |
issn |
1664-1078 |
publishDate |
2018-09-01 |
description |
The couple relationship is of particular importance in the transition to parenthood and in the early childhood years because it is related to the well-being and mental health of partners, children, and the family. One factor that may substantially influence relationship quality and couple satisfaction after childbirth is the woman’s experience of birth. Approximately 2–4% of women develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after childbirth, with potentially wide-ranging negative consequences for the women themselves and their families. To date, some qualitative studies have explored the influence of postpartum PTSD on couple relationship satisfaction. However, quantitative studies are sparse, with mixed results and methodological limitations. We hypothesized that postpartum PTSD will be prospectively associated with low couple relationship satisfaction, even when taking into account a variety of potential confounding variables, and that the effect of postpartum PTSD symptoms on couple relationship satisfaction will be mediated by postpartum depression symptoms. This study is based on data from the Akershus Birth Cohort study, a prospective cohort study. Information from hospital records and questionnaires completed at 17 weeks gestational age, as well as at 8 weeks and 2 years postpartum were used (n = 1480). PTSD symptoms were measured by the Impact of Event Scale and couple relationship satisfaction was assessed using a modified version of the Mehrabians Marital Satisfaction Scale. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Data were analyzed using bivariate correlations, multivariate regression analyses, and mediation analyses. Postpartum PTSD symptoms were prospectively related to low couple relationship satisfaction at 2 years postpartum, even when controlling for a considerable number of background factors. When including postpartum depression symptoms as predictor in the analyses, the effect of postpartum PTSD was no longer significant. Moreover, more detailed analyses showed that postpartum depression symptoms acted as a significant mediator, fully explaining the association of postpartum PTSD with couples’ relationship satisfaction. Early detection of couples’ relationship problems and the provision of professional help, particularly in high-risk couples may not only improve the quality of the couple relationship but also improve parenting and promote positive child outcomes. |
topic |
postpartum PTSD couples relationship satisfaction depression anxiety Akershus Birth Cohort |
url |
https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01728/full |
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doaj-52526538f918401ea68c23e6cc03b8c52020-11-24T23:46:38ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782018-09-01910.3389/fpsyg.2018.01728354646The Impact of Postpartum Posttraumatic Stress and Depression Symptoms on Couples’ Relationship Satisfaction: A Population-Based Prospective StudySusan Garthus-Niegel0Susan Garthus-Niegel1Antje Horsch2Antje Horsch3Eric Handtke4Tilmann von Soest5Susan Ayers6Kerstin Weidner7Malin Eberhard-Gran8Malin Eberhard-Gran9Malin Eberhard-Gran10Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine of the Technische Universität, Dresden, GermanyDepartment of Child Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Nydalen, NorwayInstitute of Higher Education and Research in Healthcare (IUFRS), Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, SwitzerlandDepartment Woman-Mother-Child, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, SwitzerlandDepartment of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine of the Technische Universität, Dresden, GermanyDepartment of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayCentre for Maternal and Child Health Research, School of Health Sciences, City, University of London, London, United KingdomDepartment of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine of the Technische Universität, Dresden, GermanyDepartment of Child Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Nydalen, NorwayHealth Services Research Unit, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, NorwayInstitute of Clinical Medicine Campus Ahus, University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayThe couple relationship is of particular importance in the transition to parenthood and in the early childhood years because it is related to the well-being and mental health of partners, children, and the family. One factor that may substantially influence relationship quality and couple satisfaction after childbirth is the woman’s experience of birth. Approximately 2–4% of women develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after childbirth, with potentially wide-ranging negative consequences for the women themselves and their families. To date, some qualitative studies have explored the influence of postpartum PTSD on couple relationship satisfaction. However, quantitative studies are sparse, with mixed results and methodological limitations. We hypothesized that postpartum PTSD will be prospectively associated with low couple relationship satisfaction, even when taking into account a variety of potential confounding variables, and that the effect of postpartum PTSD symptoms on couple relationship satisfaction will be mediated by postpartum depression symptoms. This study is based on data from the Akershus Birth Cohort study, a prospective cohort study. Information from hospital records and questionnaires completed at 17 weeks gestational age, as well as at 8 weeks and 2 years postpartum were used (n = 1480). PTSD symptoms were measured by the Impact of Event Scale and couple relationship satisfaction was assessed using a modified version of the Mehrabians Marital Satisfaction Scale. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Data were analyzed using bivariate correlations, multivariate regression analyses, and mediation analyses. Postpartum PTSD symptoms were prospectively related to low couple relationship satisfaction at 2 years postpartum, even when controlling for a considerable number of background factors. When including postpartum depression symptoms as predictor in the analyses, the effect of postpartum PTSD was no longer significant. Moreover, more detailed analyses showed that postpartum depression symptoms acted as a significant mediator, fully explaining the association of postpartum PTSD with couples’ relationship satisfaction. Early detection of couples’ relationship problems and the provision of professional help, particularly in high-risk couples may not only improve the quality of the couple relationship but also improve parenting and promote positive child outcomes.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01728/fullpostpartum PTSDcouplesrelationship satisfactiondepressionanxietyAkershus Birth Cohort |