The Influence of Psychosocial and Obstetric Factors on Psychological Distress of Postpartum Mothers

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21335806

Mubeena, C and Nice Mary Francis P (Department of Psychology, Prajyoti Niketan College, Thrissur, Kerala)

Maternal distress during the postnatal phase is a major global health issue, affecting both maternal functioning and infant well-being. Exploring the obstetric and psychosocial factors involved in the psychological distress of postpartum mothers is crucial, especially given the influence of strong sociocultural norms and evolving family dynamics in Kerala. This study aimed to find out the role of obstetric and psychosocial factors on maternal distress among postpartum mothers in Kerala. Data were collected from 130 postpartum mothers within one year of childbirth, using standardized measures, such as the Psychological Distress Scale (Saheera & Manikandan, 2015), the Marital Satisfaction Inventory (Raj & Abraham, 2016), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet et al., 1988). Since the assumption of normality was not met, non-parametric statistical tests were employed for analysis. The findings indicated that social support and marital satisfaction were the determinants of postpartum distress. No significant differences were found in maternal distress based on factors like parity, mode of delivery, or history of abortion. These results highlight that the psychosocial factors, rather than obstetric variables, mainly influence postpartum distress, emphasizing the importance of psychosocial support interventions for new mothers.