Social Support and Perinatal Mental Health Outcomes in New Mothers

The purpose of this research is to study how level of social support impacts perinatal depression and anxiety symptoms in new mothers. The current study attempts to answer the specific research question: Does increased social support during the postpartum period decrease symptoms of perinatal depression and anxiety in women who have given birth within the last 12 months? The current study uses a convenience sample (N= 67), comprised of mothers ages 18 and older. Data was collected entirely by anonymous survey whereby prospective participants were invited to participate through Facebook and Instagram invitation posts. The research survey was comprised of four sections including demographics, questions about depressive symptoms, questions about anxiety symptoms, and questions pertaining to social support. Data was analyzed using SPSS for frequency analysis of demographic variables, and bivariate correlations of anxiety, depression, social support, and number of sources of social support. This study's findings were consistent with previous literature, and supported the researcher's hypothesis that increased social support in the postpartum period is associated with decreased symptoms of perinatal depression and anxiety in women who have given birth within the last 12 months. The findings of this study suggest that increasing support for mothers during the postpartum period may have positive impacts on mental health outcomes, which in turn could have positive short and long term effects on maternal and infant health outcomes.