PENGARUH TEKANAN KEIBUBAPAAN TERHADAP KEMURUNGAN POSTPARTUM DALAM KALANGAN WANITA BARU BERSALIN

Abstract

Postpartum depression is one of the major depressions experienced by women during three months after giving birth to their babies. The symptoms of this type of depression cannot be taken lightly as it affects not only the women but also the development of the babies, family harmony and functioning and can in fact harm themselves and other individuals in their surrounding. Thus, this research was conducted to identify the influence of parental stress towards postpartum depression. A total of 181 women participated in this study and they were from two groups namely married and unmarried women who just gave birth. Two instruments were used and they were the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale and the Parental Stress Index Short Form. Results obtained showed that parental stress and its dimensions were significantly correlated with postpartum depression. In addition, maternal stress and difficult child characteristics were significant predictors of postpartum depression. Findings also showed that there were significant differences of parental stress and its dimensions between married and unmarried women who just gave birth. These findings imply the importance of coping with parental stress to prevent women from experiencing postpartum depression.