Social Support and Postpartum Depressive Symptoms in Portuguese Women: The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation Difficulties

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a prevalent mental health issue affecting 14% of mothers worldwide, with long-term implications for both maternal and child well-being. Understanding the factors contributing to PPD is essential for developing effective interventions. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between social support and postpartum depression symptoms, with a focus on the mediating role of emotion regulation difficulties. A sample of 160 postpartum women (M age = 33.57, SD = 4.94) participated in the study. Participants were assessed on their levels of perceived social support, difficulties in emotion regulation, and symptoms of PPD. The results indicated that lower levels of social support were significantly associated with greater difficulties in emotion regulation (effects ranging from -0.10 to 0.07). These difficulties in turn were linked to higher levels of postpartum depression symptoms (effects ranging from -0.29 to 0.78), suggesting a partial mediation effect from emotional awareness (95% CI -0.05, -0.00), non-acceptance of emotions (95% CI -0.04, -0.00), difficulty in goal-directed behavior (95% CI -0.04, -0.00), and limited access to strategies (95% CI -0.12, -0.04). These findings underscore the critical role of both social support and emotion regulation in the development of PPD symptoms. Enhancing emotion regulation skills, particularly for women with limited social support, could be a key target for interventions aimed at reducing the risk and severity of PPD.