Sources of social support for postpartum women with a history of childhood maltreatment: Consequences for perceived stress and general mental health in the first year after birth

Abstract

Background: Women with a history of childhood maltreatment (CM) experience the postpartum period as particularly stressful and may benefit less from social support, implicating a higher risk for mental health problems and higher stress levels in mothers with CM.

Objective: Thus, we investigated the complex relationship of CM and social support provided by different sources (intimate partner, parents, parents-in-law, friends) in predicting stress perception and mental health over the course of the first year postpartum.

Participants: In N = 295 postpartum women we assessed CM experiences, stress perception, perceived social support and general mental health 3 and 12 months postpartum.

Method: Linear mixed effect models were used to examine the course of social support over the first year postpartum and path analyses were used to investigate mediation and moderation effects.

Results: We found that CM was linked to lower levels of perceived social support, accounted for more mental health problems, and amplified the negative association between perceived stress and maternal mental health. Most importantly, we showed that only partner support was beneficial for maternal mental health, and this association was mediated by reductions in perceived stress.

Conclusion: CM as a major risk factor for mental health impairs the stress resilience of affected postpartum women. Extending previous research, our results reveal that the source of postpartum social support determines its benefits for maternal health. Our findings emphasize the need of at-risk mothers to be provided with additional sources of support to cope with daily practical, organizational and emotional challenges.

Keywords: Childhood maltreatment; Mental health; Perceived stress; Postpartum; Social support.