Was partner support linked to less parenting distress for everyone?

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The researchers sought to better understand maternal depression and parenting stress by considering factors associated with vulnerability to both. They examined the roles of trauma and partner support in the relationship between perinatal depression and parenting stress.

The study used data from 246 women in a pregnancy cohort followed from early pregnancy until their infants were 12 months old. The participants included women diagnosed with depression and women without depression. Measures included the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the Social Support Effectiveness Questionnaire and the Parenting Stress Index.

Women with depression were more likely to report a history of childhood trauma. Depressive symptoms were positively associated with parenting stress, while partner support was negatively associated with parenting stress. A protective role of partner support for parenting distress was observed among women with no history of childhood abuse and low depressive symptoms, but not among those with a trauma history and high depressive symptoms.

The researchers concluded that early trauma is important to understanding the protective role of support in the relationship between parenting and depression. They said the findings could inform future studies and the refinement of future interventions aimed at both perinatal depression and parenting.