Exploring the paths between dysfunctional attitudes towards motherhood and postpartum depressive symptoms: The moderating role of self-compassion.

摘要

Better understanding how cognitive processes operate to influence women’s depressivesymptoms during the postpartum period is crucial for informing preventive andtreatment approaches. The present study aimed to examine the relationship betweenwomen’s dysfunctional attitudes towards motherhood and depressive symptoms,considering the mediating role of negative automatic thoughts and the moderating roleof self-compassion. A sample of 387 women in the postpartum period cross-sectionallyanswered a set of questionnaires to assess dysfunctional attitudes towards motherhood,negative automatic thoughts (general and postpartum-specific), depressive symptomsand self-compassion. Women with clinically significant depressive symptoms presentedmore dysfunctional attitudes towards motherhood, more frequent negative thoughts andlower self-compassion. More dysfunctional beliefs about others’ judgments and aboutmaternal responsibility were associated with higher depressive symptoms, and thiseffect occurred through both general and postpartum-specific thoughts related to themetacognitive appraisal of the thought content. Moreover, these relationships occurredonly when women presented low or moderate levels of self-compassion. These resultshighlight the need to comprehensively assess women’s cognitive variables during thepostpartum period with appropriate measures, for the early identification of women withmore dysfunctional beliefs about motherhood, who may be at higher risk of depression.Moreover, preventive/treatment approaches should aim not only to challenge women’spre-existing dysfunctional beliefs but also to promote a more self-compassionateattitude towards themselves.