Postpartum Partner Support and Depression in the Early Postnatal Period: The Mediating Role of Maternal Ambivalence and Sleep Quality

Abstract

This study examined the associations between perceived partner support and postpartum depressive symptoms among women in the early postnatal period and evaluated the potential mediating roles of maternal ambivalence and sleep quality. A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted with 336 postpartum women between November 2024 and May 2025. Data were collected using the Perceived Partner Support Scale in the Early Postpartum Period, Maternal Ambivalence Scale, Richard-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire, and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Analyses were performed using SPSS 23.0 and AMOS 23.0, including path and mediation analyses within structural equation modeling. Emotional support was directly associated with lower postpartum depressive symptom scores (β =-0.014, p = 0.017), while social support was also negatively associated with depressive symptoms (β=-0.018, p = 0.024). In addition, emotional support showed significant indirect associations with depressive symptoms through the suppression dimension of maternal ambivalence (β = -0.101, p = 0.001) and sleep quality (β =-0.093, p = 0.005). Social support demonstrated a significant indirect association with depressive symptoms through the doubts dimension of maternal ambivalence (β = -0.057, p = 0.005). Physical support was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms (p > 0.05). The model explained 25.2% of the variance in postpartum depressive symptoms (R² = 0.252). These findings suggest that emotional and social dimensions of partner support are associated with lower postpartum depressive symptom levels, both directly and through specific pathways involving sleep quality and maternal ambivalence. However, the findings should be interpreted within the context of a cross-sectional design and the early postpartum assessment period.