The mediating role of parenting sense of competence on the relationship between social support and postnatal depressive symptoms

Postnatal depressive symptoms have harmful effects on families’ well-being. This study reports the dyadic interactions between fathers’ and mothers’ social support, parenting sense of competence, and postnatal depressive symptoms, and explores the mediating role of parenting sense of competence in the relationship between social support and depressive symptoms. A multi-center, cross-sectional study was designed. A convenience sample of 280 participants (140 couples) in China completed assessments of study variables at three days postpartum. Mothers’ social support was positively related to fathers’ parenting sense of competence (β = 0.219, p =.018). Fathers’ social support was negatively related to mothers’ postnatal depressive symptoms (β = -0.192, p =.036). In mothers and fathers, the indirect effects of social support on postnatal depressive symptoms through parenting sense of competence were significant (β = -0.108, 95% CI [-0.202, -0.040]; β = -0.108, 95% CI [-0.241, -0.007]). Furthermore, the indirect effect of mothers’ social support on fathers’ postnatal depressive symptoms through fathers’ parenting sense of competence was significant (β = -0.100, 95% CI [-0.196, -0.014]). Postnatal depressive symptoms in fathers should receive equal attention as those in mothers. There are dyadic interaction effects between mothers’ and fathers’ social support, parenting sense of competence, and postnatal depressive symptoms, therefore, developing couple-centered interventions is crucial. Parenting sense of competence mediated the relationship between social support and postnatal depressive symptoms; thus it is important to improve parenting sense of competence to reduce postnatal depressive symptoms during the early postpartum transition.