Women’s perceived partner support during the perinatal and early childhood period: changes over time for women with and without Major Depressive Disorder

Abstract

Background: Partner support is both an important protective and risk factor for women’s mental health perinatally. Although there is likely a bidirectional relationship between support and mental health, a research gap exists in understanding changes in women’s experience of partner support over pregnancy and early childhood, and whether this differs for women with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). This study examines whether women diagnosed with MDD antenatally are at increased risk of deteriorating partner support over the perinatal period, after accounting for demographic effects, ongoing depressive symptoms, stressful life events, and attachment orientation. Methods: 731 women recruited i..