Examining the relationship between maternal childhood abuse history and mother-infant bonding: The mediating roles of postpartum depression and maternal self-efficacy. 2023

Vivian Chau, and Rachel Dryer, and Robyn Brunton
School of Behavioral & Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Strathfield, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: chauvivian@outlook.com.

The detrimental effects of childhood abuse on long-term outcomes are well-known, however few studies have examined these effects in the context of postpartum psychopathology, maternal self-efficacy, and mother-infant bonding quality. This study aimed to examine the relationship between a maternal childhood abuse experience (i.e., physical, psychological, and sexual) and mother-infant bonding disturbances, and whether this relationship was mediated by postnatal depression symptomatology and maternal self-efficacy. A sample of 191 postpartum women (Mage = 32.88, SD = 4.20) recruited online from the general population completed self-report measures of the constructs of interest. Postnatal depression symptomatology and maternal self-efficacy were found to fully mediate the relationship between psychological child abuse experience and mother-infant bonding disturbances (β = 0.06, SE = 0.03, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.12). Postnatal depression symptomatology (but not maternal self-efficacy) was an independent mediator between psychological child abuse experience and mother-infant bonding (β = 0.07, SE = 0.03, 95 % CI: 0.01, 0.13). After inclusion of other abuse types as covariates in the analyses, the findings for maternal child physical abuse attenuated to non-significance. Child sexual abuse was not associated with the mediating or outcome variables, highlighting the issue of disclosure despite the anonymous online environment. This study highlights the negative impact of psychological childhood abuse experience on the quality of the mother-infant bond during the postpartum period and potential pathways that underlie this relationship. This study also draws attention to the need to recognize comorbidity of abuse types in research.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007223 Infant A child between 1 and 23 months of age. Infants
D009035 Mothers Female parents, human or animal. Mothers' Clubs,Club, Mothers',Clubs, Mothers',Mother,Mother Clubs,Mother's Clubs,Mothers Clubs,Mothers' Club
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D002649 Child Abuse Abuse of children in a family, institutional, or other setting. (APA, Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms, 1994) Abuse Experiences, Childhood,Child Neglect,Child Neglect Experiences,Child Neglect, Physical,Childhood Abuse Experiences,Childhood Neglect Experiences,Neglect Experience, Childhood,Neglect Experiences, Childhood,Physical Neglect, Childhood,Child Maltreatment,Child Mistreatment,Abuse Experience, Childhood,Abuse, Child,Child Neglect Experience,Childhood Abuse Experience,Childhood Neglect Experience,Childhood Physical Neglect,Childhood Physical Neglects,Experience, Child Neglect,Experience, Childhood Abuse,Experience, Childhood Neglect,Maltreatment, Child,Mistreatment, Child,Neglect Experience, Child,Neglect, Child,Neglect, Childhood Physical,Neglect, Physical Child,Physical Child Neglect,Physical Child Neglects
D002650 Child Abuse, Sexual Sexual maltreatment of the child or minor. Child Molestation,Child Molestation, Sexual,Molestation, Sexual, Child,Sexual Abuse of Child,Sexual Abuse, Child,Abuse, Child Sexual,Child Sexual Abuse,Molestation, Child,Sexual Child Abuse,Sexual Child Molestation
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D019052 Depression, Postpartum Depression in POSTPARTUM WOMEN, usually within four weeks after giving birth (PARTURITION). The degree of depression ranges from mild transient depression to neurotic or psychotic depressive disorders. (From DSM-IV, p386) Post-Natal Dysphoria,Post-Partum Dysphoria,Postnatal Depression,Postnatal Dysphoria,Postpartum Depression,Postpartum Dysphoria,Post-Natal Depression,Post-Partum Depression,Depression, Post-Natal,Depression, Post-Partum,Depression, Postnatal,Dysphoria, Post-Natal,Dysphoria, Post-Partum,Dysphoria, Postnatal,Dysphoria, Postpartum,Post Natal Depression,Post Natal Dysphoria,Post Partum Depression,Post Partum Dysphoria
D020377 Self Efficacy Cognitive mechanism based on expectations or beliefs about one's ability to perform actions necessary to produce a given effect. It is also a theoretical component of behavior change in various therapeutic treatments. (APA, Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms, 1994) Efficacy, Self

Related Publications

Vivian Chau, and Rachel Dryer, and Robyn Brunton
July 2022, Perspectives in psychiatric care,
Vivian Chau, and Rachel Dryer, and Robyn Brunton
June 2024, Infant mental health journal,
Vivian Chau, and Rachel Dryer, and Robyn Brunton
January 2021, Journal of Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad : JAMC,
Vivian Chau, and Rachel Dryer, and Robyn Brunton
January 2016, Behavioral sleep medicine,
Vivian Chau, and Rachel Dryer, and Robyn Brunton
January 2019, Iranian journal of nursing and midwifery research,
Vivian Chau, and Rachel Dryer, and Robyn Brunton
June 2023, International journal of environmental research and public health,
Vivian Chau, and Rachel Dryer, and Robyn Brunton
February 2024, Anaesthesia, critical care & pain medicine,
Vivian Chau, and Rachel Dryer, and Robyn Brunton
February 2019, Child abuse & neglect,
Vivian Chau, and Rachel Dryer, and Robyn Brunton
May 2022, Journal of psychiatric research,
Copied contents to your clipboard!