The Mediating Role of Psychological Capital and Sense of Coherence in the Relationship Between Perceived Social Support and Postpartum Depression

Abstract
Background: The relation between postpartum depression and social support is highly supported in research. However, few studies investigated the factors that could intervene with this relationship. This research aims to investigate how psychological capital (PsyCap) and sense of coherence (SOC) can mediate the relation between perceived social support (SS/PSS) and symptoms of postpartum depression (PPD).
Methods: This study analysed data from 217 postpartum women with age range between 25-41(M= 30.12, SD= 3.65). The sample was recruited from public and private hospitals and obstetrics/gynaecology and paediatric clinics in Cairo, Egypt. Data was collected with Arabic versions of, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the Sense of Coherence Scale, and the Psychological Capital Questionnaire. Mediation analysis was performed using multiple linear regression, Hayes’ Process Macro via bootstrapping on SPSS-26 and mediation analysis by structural equation modelling (SEM).
Results: The total effect of PSS on PPD was significant (β= -.333, 95% CI [-0.438, -0.229], z= -6.247, p< .001). The direct effect was also significant (β= -0.120, 95% CI [-0.210, -0.029], z= -2.596, p= .009). In addition, the total indirect effect of the two mediators was significant (β= -0.214, 95% CI -0.287, -0.140], z= -5.670, p< .001), indicating partial mediation by both variables, with PsyCap accounting for 10.5% of the effect of PSS on PPD explained variance and SOC accounting for 14.2%.
Conclusions: PSS influences PPD through positive PsyCap traits and SOC. These findings are crucial to designing interventions for minimizing risk for postpartum depression.