The impact of respectful maternity care on postpartum mental health and sleep quality

Respectful maternity care (RMC) is a rights-based approach that emphasizes dignity, autonomy, and compassion in the provision of care during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum period. This study aimed to determine the association between RMC and postpartum mental health and sleep quality. This prospective study conducted on 140 postpartum women hospitalized in the postpartum wards of public, private, and organizational hospitals in Tabriz, Iran. Quota sampling was based on the number of births in each hospital. At baseline, the socio-demographic and obstetrics questionnaire and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) were completed. Then, 6–18 h after delivery the RMC scale was administered. The EPDS, the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale (PSAS), and the Postpartum Sleep Quality Scale (PSQS) were completed 6–8 weeks postpartum through interviews. The General Linear Model was used to examine the association between RMC and postpartum depression, anxiety, and sleep quality. The mean (SD) score for RMC was 59.3 (6.5), ranging from 15 to 75. The mean postpartum scores for depression, anxiety, and sleep quality were 7.8 (4.3), 22.2 (5.0), and 26.8 (3.5), respectively. After adjusting for sociodemographic and obstetric variables, RMC was significantly and inversely associated with postpartum depression (Beta coefficients: − 0.19, 95% confidence interval (CI): − 0.30 to − 0.09, P < 0.001) and anxiety (β: − 0.15, 95% CI − 0.23 to − 0.06, P = 0.001) but showed no significant association with sleep quality (β: − 0.08, 95% CI − 0.21 to 0.05, P = 0.215). Higher RMC levels were associated with lower postpartum depression and anxiety. These findings underscore the importance of promoting RMC practices to improve maternal mental health.