Association of fear of childbirth and postpartum depression with perceived partner response during pregnancy.

Background: Fear of childbirth may affect delivery experience and postpartum recovery, and even lead to postpartum depression. Spouses, as the primary caregivers of pregnant women, are an important source of emotional support and have a significant impact on their psychological adjustment. The aim of this study is to explore the association of fear of childbirth and postpartum depression with perceived partner response during pregnancy.

Methods: A longitudinal study was conducted at the Northern Theater Command General Hospital from June 2023 to April 2024. 289 pregnant women completed two surveys in total. The questionnaire included the Childbirth Attitude Questionnaire, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and the Perceived Partner Responsiveness Scale. Latent class analysis was used to identify categories of postpartum depression. The moderating effect was analyzed by multiple linear regression analysis, and visualized by simple slope analysis.

Results: Postpartum depression was classified into three types: "Low postpartum depression -Insomnia and sadness group" (46.5%), "Moderate postpartum depression -Anxiety and crying group" (42.6%), and "High postpartum depression -Emotional suppression group" (10.9%). The interaction term (fear of childbirth*perceived partner response) has a significant impact on postpartum depression (ΔR = 0.047, β = 0.226, P < 0.01), indicating a moderating effect. The effect of fear of childbirth on postpartum depression was gradually decreased in the low (Mean-SD), mean, and high (Mean + SD) groups of perceived partner response (P < 0.01).

Conclusions: Pregnant women had three characteristics of postpartum depression, and the overall rate was relatively high. The perceived partner response can effectively regulate the association of fear of childbirth and postpartum depression during pregnancy.