The moderator role of social support in the relation of adult attachment styles with post-partum depression and anxiety

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the moderator role of social support in the relation of adult attachment styles with post-partum depression and anxiety. The hypotheses of the study is that social support is moderator in the relation of attachment styles with depression and anxiety symptoms of women who gave birth recently. Method: Seventy six women in the post-partum term participated in the study as volunteers in primary care clinics. Informed consent form, socio-demographic information form, Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Adult Attachment Scale (AAS), and Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale (MSPSS) were administered. Results: According to the correlation analyses, there is a significant relation between anxious/ambivalent and secure attachment style and post-partum depression and anxiety symptoms. Post-partum depression and anxiety symptoms are positively related to anxious/ambivalent attachment styles and negatively related to secure attachment style. Social support sub-scales are significantly related to anxious/ambivalent attachment style, secure attachment style and anxiety symptoms. Social support sub-scales are negatively related to anxiety, depression and anxious/ambivalent attachment style and positively related to secure attachment. According to regression analyses results, secure attachment style significantly predicts low level of depression scores. Anxious/ambivalent attachment style significantly predicts depression symptoms and social support scale has a moderator role in this relation. Conclusion: Adult attachment styles may predict severity of depression and social support scale has a moderator role in this relation. Key words: Post-Partum depression, anxiety, secure attachment, insecure attachment, social support.