The Mediating Role of Coping Strategies in the Relationship between Perceived Social Support and Postpartum Depression

Postpartum depression is one of the most common mood disorders in women and is not diagnosed and treated in more than half of the cases. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating role of coping strategies in the relationship between perceived social support and postpartum depression.

The research method was correlation research in which the statistical method of structural equation modeling was used. The population of the study consisted of 200 women who had children at the age of six months who were selected by convenience sampling from Tehran Health Centers. Research data were collected using the Lazarus and Folkman Coping Strategies Questionnaire (WOCQ), Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) and Perceived Social Support Scale (MSPSS). Data were analyzed using SPSS and Amos statistical software.

The relative mediation of coping strategies with the collected data was confirmed and problem-centered and emotion-focused coping strategies explained 32% of the prevalence of depression scores among women. Also, the indirect effect of perceived social support on postpartum depression through problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies was -0.13 and -0.06, respectively. The hypothesized model of relative mediation of emotion-oriented and problem-based coping strategies in relation to perceived social support with depression was well-fitted to the data.

The results show that the conceptual loop of emotion-oriented and problem-based coping strategies plays a significant role in linking the conceptual circles of perceived social support with depression.