Roles and Postpartum Distress: Relationship Adjustment as a Mediator

Despite societal beliefs to the contrary, both men and women often experience a mixture of anxiety and depressive symptoms during the postpartum period, referred to here as postpartum distress (PPD). The aim of this study was to explicate whether various aspects of role functioning during the postpartum period (including role intensity, role acceptability, work-family strain, and work-family gains) are associated with PPD, and whether this association may be partially explained by relationship adjustment. Eighty-three couples who were 4-12 weeks postpartum were recruited for this study from local medical centers and the community at large. Couples were asked to complete a battery of questionnaires online via Qualtrics. Data were analyzed using path analysis (PA). Results indicate that men's experience of role unacceptability predicted their own greater PPD, partially mediated by their own poorer relationship adjustment, as well as women's poorer relationship adjustment. Additionally, women's work-family strain predicted their own greater PPD as well as men's greater relationship adjustment. When considering specific domains, neither men's nor women's report of role involvement and role satisfaction predicted women's relationship adjustment or PPD. However, men's greater role involvement and greater role satisfaction in family decision-making, as well as women's greater role satisfaction in family decision-making, each predicted less PPD for men; these effects were fully mediated by men's greater relationship adjustment. Additionally, men's greater involvement in childcare per women's report predicted greater PPD for men. Research and clinical implications are discussed.Doctor of Philosoph