Why is it important for new moms to feel better and enjoy parenthood?

4 key findings from a new study on meeting mothers’ needs and postpartum depression.

The arrival of a baby marks the start of an exciting adventure, with countless opportunities for joy. At the same time, the new circumstances bring a unique challenge: sleepless nights, worries about being a good parent, tests of patience, financial burdens, and, among other things, less time for yourself. As a result, parenthood has a major impact on a new mother’s wellbeing, and as many as 30% of women show symptoms of depression in the postpartum period.

A recent study published in Journal of Clinical Psychology examines postpartum depression in new mothers in relation to their psychological needs and “parenting behavior.”

The study describes the need for competence (the feeling that we’re good at what we do), the need for relatedness (a satisfying relationship), and the need for autonomy (freedom to decide about our own actions). When these needs are met, we feel good and confident; when they aren’t, it affects how we feel and can lead to depression.

The researchers focused on two forms of parenting behavior: responsiveness, which means a close bond with the child, warmth, and affection; and support for the child’s autonomy, defined as understanding the child from their point of view and giving the child choices whenever possible. Previous studies have shown that both factors are important for a child’s psychological development.

The study, carried out by a team of researchers from Ghent University in Belgium, included more than 200 mothers (70% of them first-time mothers) who took part at three time points:

1. Time point: In the second or third trimester of pregnancy, participants reported their depressive symptoms and the level of need satisfaction and any frustrations.
2. Time point: Shortly after birth, participants again reported their depressive symptoms, along with measures of need satisfaction and any frustrations, which in this period related to interaction with the baby.
3. Time point: When the participants’ children were about 2 years old, depressive symptoms were measured again. During this period, participants also answered questions about their responsiveness and autonomy support in their parenting role.

Past studies mostly focused on correlations, and all measurements were taken at the same time. Such studies can be a good starting point for testing relationships between variables, but they can’t tell us whether variable A affects B or variable B affects A. For example, a correlation between depressive symptoms and (un)met needs at a given moment doesn’t tell us whether depression causes dissatisfaction or the other way around (or whether the influence goes both ways). Longitudinal studies like the one I’m writing about are a much stronger tool for determining the direction of influence between variables.

Results:

The study reports several important findings:

1. Low need satisfaction before the baby arrives predicts a higher level of postpartum depression.

The study shows that postpartum depression is more common among women who, before becoming mothers, doubted their abilities (a sense of incompetence), felt lonely and disappointed in their relationships (low relatedness), and felt they weren’t making their own decisions or that there was too much “outside” influence (low autonomy).

2. Postpartum depression increases the risk of depression over the next two years.

Rather than being only a temporary state that passes in the weeks and months after the baby is born, postpartum depression is linked to depression in later years.

3. Mothers whose needs were met before the baby arrived showed higher levels of parenting-related need satisfaction in the period immediately after birth as well.

Need satisfaction was assessed with statements such as: “Today I felt a sense of choice and freedom in the things I did with my child,” while frustration was assessed with statements such as: “Today I felt forced to do things with my child that I did not choose.” Mothers whose needs were met even before they had children generally had more satisfying interactions with their children.

4. Meeting parenting-related needs leads to better parenting.

Moms who experienced greater satisfaction soon after their child was born showed greater responsiveness to their child’s needs two years later. For example, they scored higher on statements such as: “I am able to help my child feel better when they are upset.” They also supported the development of the child’s independence more at age two, assessed with statements such as: “If possible, I let my child decide for themselves what they will do.”

How the results can be used

• The findings show that meeting needs in the prenatal period can reduce a woman’s risk of postpartum depression. This result highlights the importance of preventing postpartum depression already during pregnancy, which can include assessing a pregnant woman’s needs. Those identified as at risk can be offered a prenatal intervention and then monitored closely in the postpartum period.
• The impact of postpartum depression on the occurrence of depression two years later points to the long-term risks associated with perinatal depression. Efforts to prevent postpartum depression may therefore have similarly long-term consequences and effects.
• It’s not surprising to assume that meeting needs in the prenatal period also leads to better need satisfaction during parenthood. More research will be needed to confirm this assumption.
• Higher need satisfaction in early experiences with the baby, the study results show, leads to better parenting in the later years of the child’s development: greater responsiveness to a toddler’s needs and better support for developing their autonomy. Meeting needs during pregnancy is therefore positive not only for the birthing woman/mother, but also for her relationship with the child.
• It’s worth noting that all data, including parenting quality, were based on mothers’ self-reports. It would be important to repeat the study using reports from external observers of parenting as well, to eliminate possible bias from self-assessments.
• Like most good research, this study also raises new questions. Perhaps the most important one: how can we meet women’s needs in the prenatal and postpartum periods? You can read more about this HERE.
• Based on the findings of this study, we can conclude that meeting basic psychological needs can significantly affect the experience of being a mother.