scholarly journals The mediational role of social support in the relationship between stress and antenatal anxiety and depressive symptoms among Australian women: a mediational analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Asres Bedaso ◽  
Jon Adams ◽  
Wenbo Peng ◽  
David Sibbritt

Abstract Background Pregnancy can be a stressful period for most women and their family members, and the mental wellbeing of pregnant women can face serious challenges. Social support can play a role in improving the psychological well-being of pregnant women by enhancing the stress coping ability and alleviating stressful conditions. The current study aimed to assess the mediating effects of social support in the relationship between perceived stress and depressive symptoms as well as anxiety symptoms during pregnancy among Australian women. Methods Of the 8,010 women who completed Survey 6 of the 1973–78 Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH) cohort in 2012, those who reported being pregnant (n = 493) were included in the current analyses. Antenatal depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed using the 10 item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D-10) scale, and the 9-item Goldberg Anxiety and Depression scale (GADS) respectively. The 19 item-Medical Outcomes Study Social Support index (MOSS) was used to examine social support. A parallel mediation model was used to explore the mediational role of each domain of social support between perceived stress and antenatal depressive and anxiety symptoms. Result The study found that emotional/informational support has a partial mediating effect on the relationship between perceived stress and antenatal depressive symptoms (β = 0.371, 95% CI: 0.067, 0.799) and on the relationship between perceived stress and antenatal anxiety symptoms (β = 0.217, 95% CI: 0.029, 0.462). Affectionate support/positive social interaction and tangible support was found to play no significant mediation role between stress and antenatal depressive and anxiety symptoms. Conclusions Emotional/informational support appears to play a mediating role in the relationship between stress and antenatal depressive as well as between stress and antenatal anxiety symptoms. In order to further protect pregnant women from the effects of stress, policy makers and maternal health professionals are advised to develop community-based social support programs to enhance prenatal psychosocial support and ensure pregnant women have adequate emotional/information support.

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Asres Bedaso ◽  
Jon Adams ◽  
Wenbo Peng ◽  
David Sibbritt

Abstract Background Antenatal depression and antenatal anxiety adversely affect several obstetric and foetal outcomes, and increase the rate of postnatal mental illness. Thus, to tackle these challenges the need for social support during pregnancy is vital. However, an extensive literature search failed to show a published study on the relationship between domains of social support and antenatal depressive, as well as antenatal anxiety symptoms in Australia. This study examined the association between domains of social support and antenatal depressive and anxiety symptoms among Australian women. Methods The current study used data obtained from the 1973–78 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH), focusing upon women who reported being pregnant (n = 493). Depression and anxiety were assessed using the 10 item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D-10) scale, and the 9-item Goldberg Anxiety and Depression scale (GADS) respectively. The 19 item-Medical Outcomes Study Social Support index (MOSS) was used to assess social support. A logistic regression model was used to examine the associations between domains of social support and antenatal depressive and anxiety symptoms after adjusting for potential confounders. Result The current study found 24.7 and 20.9% of pregnant women screened positive for depressive and anxiety symptoms respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders, our study found that the odds of antenatal depressive symptoms was about four and threefold higher among pregnant women who reported low emotional/informational support (AOR = 4.75; 95% CI: 1.45, 15.66; p = 0.010) and low social support (overall support) (AOR = 3.26; 95%CI: 1.05, 10.10, p = 0.040) respectively compared with their counterpart. In addition, the odds of antenatal anxiety symptoms was seven times higher among pregnant women who reported low affectionate support/positive social interaction (AOR = 7.43; 95%CI: 1.75, 31.55; p = 0.006). Conclusion A considerable proportion of pregnant Australian women had depressive symptoms and/or anxiety symptoms, which poses serious health concerns. Low emotional/informational support and low affectionate support/positive social interaction have a significant association with antenatal depressive and anxiety symptoms respectively. As such, targeted screening of expectant women for social support is essential.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S31-S31
Author(s):  
Weiyu Mao ◽  
Weiyu Mao ◽  
Yiwei Chen ◽  
Bei Wu ◽  
Shaoqing Ge ◽  
...  

Abstract Dry mouth is a common condition among older adults that negatively influences oral health, general health, and quality of life. The role of psychosocial factors in oral health conditions and diseases remains largely unknown. We examined the relationship between perceived stress and dry mouth among US older Chinese adults and further investigated the moderating role of social support from different sources in the relationship. Data came from baseline of the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago between 2011 and 2013 (N = 3,157). Stepwise logistic regression models with interaction terms were used. More perceived stress was significantly associated with a higher likelihood of reporting dry mouth. Friend support was protective against dry mouth. The effect of perceived stress on dry mouth varied by levels of family and friend support. To prevent or reduce dry mouth, interventions need to consider perceived stress and social support in this growing population.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (11) ◽  
pp. 1935-1955 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franco Baldoni ◽  
Michele Giannotti ◽  
Giulia Casu ◽  
Valerio Luperini ◽  
Federico Spelzini

Stress is associated with dyadic adjustment during transition to parenthood, but little is known about mechanisms underlying this link, particularly during prenatal period. This dyadic study explored the mediating role of depressive symptoms in the relationship between perceived stress and dyadic adjustment in expectant couples. One hundred and fourteen couples at the third trimester of pregnancy completed self-reports of perceived stress, depression, and dyadic adjustment. Results indicated that both parents’ perceived stress was associated with their own lower relationship satisfaction directly and indirectly, through their own higher depressive symptoms. Mothers’ perceived stress was also linked to higher fathers’ depressive symptoms, and thus also to lower fathers’ relationship satisfaction. Both parents’ perceived stress was only directly associated with their own dyadic consensus, and their own and their partners’ affectional expression. Findings suggest that interventions aimed at reducing expectant parents’ perceived stress could protect against depressive symptoms and promote the couple’s adjustment during pregnancy.


2020 ◽  
pp. 008124632096153
Author(s):  
Sadi Cordelia Bambo ◽  
Solomon Mashegoane

The study investigated the mediator role of death obsession in the relationship between pregnancy-related anxiety and prenatal obsessive-compulsive disorder among pregnant women in the Capricorn district, South Africa. Two hundred and six conveniently selected respondents completed questionnaires individually. Statistically significant associations were found between pregnancy-related anxiety and death obsession, death obsession and prenatal obsessive-compulsive disorder, and pregnancy-related anxiety and prenatal obsessive-compulsive disorder ( ps ⩽ .05). Analysis further showed that death obsession mediates the relationship between pregnancy-related anxiety and both composite scores of a prenatal obsessive-compulsive disorder measure (Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory–Revised) and most of its components. The findings suggest that death obsession is a likely mediator that has to be studied further.


2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 353-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse B. DeAngelis ◽  
Rana Yaghmaian ◽  
Susan Miller Smedema

Purpose: To investigate the role of core self-evaluations (CSE) in the relationship between perceived stress and depression in persons with spinal cord injury.Method: Two hundred forty-seven adults with spinal cord injury completed an online survey measuring perceived stress, CSE, and depressive symptoms.Results: A multiple regression analysis revealed CSE to significantly mediate the relationship between perceived stress and depression. A hierarchical regression analysis also confirmed that CSE is a significant moderator of the relationship between perceived stress and depression. The association between perceived stress and depression was significantly stronger for low-CSE individuals and weaker for high-CSE individuals.Conclusion: High CSE appears to buffer the effect of perceived stress on depressive symptoms for persons with spinal cord injury. Rehabilitation interventions should aim to enhance CSE as a means to prevent depression among this population.


2015 ◽  
Vol 71 (9) ◽  
pp. 2164-2175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun-Ja Kim ◽  
Elizabeth A. Schlenk ◽  
Dae Jung Kim ◽  
Moonsun Kim ◽  
Judith A. Erlen ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Angela Matijczak ◽  
Shelby E. McDonald ◽  
Camie A. Tomlinson ◽  
Jennifer L. Murphy ◽  
Kelly O’Connor

LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual/gender minority identities) individuals frequently report exposure to microaggressions, which are associated with deleterious mental health outcomes. Social support from humans has been found to be an important protective factor for LGBTQ+ emerging adults. However, an underexplored area of research is the protective role of interactions with companion animals for this population. We conducted simple and multiple moderation analyses to explore whether and to what extent emotional comfort from companion animals and human social support moderated the relationship between LGBTQ-related microaggressions and depressive and anxiety symptoms. Our sample included 134 LGBTQ+ emerging adults (mean age of 19.31). We found that social support moderated the relationship between microaggressions and depressive symptoms. The relationship between microaggressions and depressive symptoms was not significant at high levels of social support, indicating the protective nature of human social support. Comfort from companion animals also moderated the relationship between interpersonal microaggressions and depressive symptoms. For participants with high or medium levels of emotional comfort from companion animals, interpersonal microaggressions were positively associated with depressive symptoms. Our results highlight the need to further investigate the complex role of relationships with companion animals on mental health outcomes for LGBTQ+ emerging adults.


2021 ◽  
pp. 019394592110439
Author(s):  
Carmen Giurgescu ◽  
Ana Carolina Wong ◽  
Brooke Rengers ◽  
Sarah Vaughan ◽  
Alexandra L. Nowak ◽  
...  

We explored the associations among perceived stress, depressive symptoms, loneliness, and social support during the COVID-19 pandemic; and differences in perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and social support prior to the pandemic and during the pandemic among pregnant Black women. A sample of 33 pregnant Black women who participated in the Biosocial Impact on Black Births (BIBB) and were still pregnant in May–June 2020 were invited to complete an online survey about their experiences during the pandemic. Fifteen women responded very much or somewhat to experiencing stress and anxiety because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Eight women had CES-D scores ≥23, which have been correlated with depression diagnosis. Women who reported higher levels of loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic also reported higher levels of perceived stress and depressive symptoms and lower levels of social support during the pandemic. Women who reported lower levels of social support during the pandemic also reported higher levels of perceived stress and depressive symptoms during the pandemic. There were no changes in perceived stress, depressive symptoms, or social support prior to the pandemic and during the pandemic. Clinicians should assess for signs of loneliness and depressive symptoms for pregnant women and offer recommendations for therapy and support groups.


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