PREDICTIVE ROLE OF MATERNAL DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AND PERCEIVED QUALITY OF LIFE ON POSTNATAL MOTHER-INFANT BONDING

This cross-sectional study was focused on the predictive role of maternal depressive symptoms and perceived quality of life on postnatal mother-infant bonding. Research show that impaired postnatal bonding has a negative long-term effect on child’s development. Relevant literature also acknowledges a scientific gap in the understanding of the relationship between maternal mental health and the quality of postnatal mother-infant bonding. Respondents were 162 women in the first 12 months after childbirth, advising with gynecologist in maternity hospitals in the Republic of North Macedonia. Edinburgh postnatal depression scale, subscales of psychological and environmental domain of the WHO Quality of Life Scale-brief, and Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire were applied to measure study variables. Results from hierarchical binary logistic regression showed that psychological domain of quality of life significantly predicted quality of postnatal bonding in the first and second block. However, its effect was suppressed in the third block when depressive symptoms variable was entered. The presence of depressive symptoms and environmental domain of the perceived quality of life significantly predicted postnatal mother-infant bonding. Findings confirmed the significant predictive relationship of maternal depressive symptoms and of environmental domain of mother’s perceived quality of life on the quality of postnatal boding. This gives reason for increased attention on development of mother–infant dyads during the postnatal period and on the importance of social support.