| Description |
Development of the relationship between a caregiver and an infant is an important process after childbirth (Brockington, 2004). Impact of depression and anxiety on mother-foetus relationship and postnatal bonding is well documented (e.g. Condon & Corkindale, 1997; Goecke et al., 2012). While few studies aimed on impact of mother-foetus relationship on postnatal bonding (Damato, 2004), there are limited studies on possible mediators of this relationship. Maternal self-esteem is an essential component of mothering and is viewed as mediator of many factors that influenced woman´s adaptation to maternal role (Shea & Tronick, 1988). The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between prenatal mother-foetus relationship, depression and anxiety symptoms and postnatal bonding as mediated by maternal self-esteem. Our sample consists of 268 Czech women (mean-age=31.83, SD=4.42) in their third trimester of pregnancy who were involved in our longitudinal survey study and who completed measures in Time 1 (pregnancy) and in Time 2 (3 month-age children). In Time 1 we assessed their relationship to unborn child (Masopustová, Kicková, & Korábová, 2014), depression (PHQ-9, Kroenke, Spitzer, & Williams, 2001) and anxiety symptoms (GAD-7, Löwe et al., 2008). In Time 2 we assessed their depression and anxiety symptoms, maternal self-esteem (MSRI-s, Shea & Tronick, 1988) and postnatal bonding (PPBQ, Brockington, Fraser, & Wilson, 2006). Preliminary analysis showed that mother-foetus relationship is negatively associated with postnatal bonding (r=-0.296, p<0.001; the higher the score on PPBQ the more impaired bonding), and positively with maternal self-esteem (r=0.187, p<0.001). Postpartum bonding is negatively associated with maternal self-esteem (r=-0.525, p<0.001), that means the higher the mother´s self-esteem the better her relationship with child. Postpartum bonding is also associated with depression and anxiety symptoms (r=0.456, p<0.001; r=0.330, p<0.001, respectively). Structural equation modeling will be employed for further analysis. We will present the results of mediational analysis.
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