ABSTRACT

Background

Increasing evidence has linked repetitive negative thinking (RNT) to postnatal depression and anxiety, yet the factors moderating this relationship have been minimally investigated. During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, social restrictions imposed to reduce viral transmission limited access to social support, which is critical to postnatal psychological wellbeing – potentially intensifying RNT.

Objective

We examined whether perceived social support (from friends, family, and a significant other) played a moderating role in the relationship between RNT and maternal postnatal anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Methods

A sample of women (N = 251) who had given birth in the preceding 12 months completed an online battery of standardised measures during the COVID-19 ‘lockdown’ of May 2020.

Results

As predicted, social support moderated the relationship between RNT and depression such that the association between RNT and depression was stronger for women who reported lower levels of social support. Interestingly, this finding emerged for social support from friends only; for support from family and significant other, social support did not play a moderating role. Further, and unexpectedly, overall social support did not moderate the relationship between RNT and postnatal anxiety, however, social support from friends was a significant moderator.

Conclusions

High levels of perceived social support from friends (but not family or significant others) buffered the effects of RNT on depression and anxiety during the postpartum period. Strategies to bolster peer social support may be a valuable inclusion in interventions to prevent and treat postnatal depression and anxiety.

中文翻译：

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朋友的支持缓和了 COVID-19 期间重复性消极思维与产后健康之间的关系

摘要

背景

越来越多的证据表明重复性消极思维 (RNT) 与产后抑郁和焦虑有关，但对缓和这种关系的因素的研究却很少。在 2020 年 COVID-19 大流行期间，为减少病毒传播而实施的社会限制限制了获得社会支持的机会，这对产后心理健康至关重要——可能会加剧 RNT。

客观的

我们检查了感知到的社会支持（来自朋友、家人和重要的其他人）是否在 RNT 与产妇产后焦虑和抑郁症状之间的关系中发挥了调节作用。

方法

在 2020 年 5 月的 COVID-19“封锁”期间，在过去 12 个月内分娩的女性样本（N = 251）完成了一系列在线标准化措施。

结果

正如预测的那样，社会支持缓和了 RNT 和抑郁症之间的关系，因此对于报告社会支持水平较低的女性来说，RNT 和抑郁症之间的关联更强。有趣的是，这一发现仅在朋友的社会支持下出现；对于来自家庭和重要他人的支持，社会支持没有起到调节作用。此外，出乎意料的是，总体社会支持并未调节 RNT 与产后焦虑之间的关系，然而，来自朋友的社会支持是一个重要的调节因素。

结论

来自朋友（但不是家人或重要他人）的高水平社会支持缓冲了 RNT 对产后抑郁和焦虑的影响。加强同伴社会支持的策略可能是预防和治疗产后抑郁症和焦虑症的干预措施中有价值的内容。