Assessing maternal attachment and associated factors among physician and non-physician professional mothers in diverse social media environments

Objective: The aim of this study is to measure the levels of maternal attachment among physician mothers, presumed to have a higher awareness, and mothers from other professional groups in regards to breastfeeding and secure attachment. Additionally, the study seeks to examine the potential relationship between maternal attachment levels and breastfeeding, explore other factors associated with maternal attachment, and compare both groups in terms of their maternal attachment levels and breastfeeding statuses. Materials and Methods: The study was designed as a descriptive research to evaluate maternal attachment levels and associated factors among mothers who are medical doctors and have children under the age of 2, as well as mothers from other professions who have university degree and children under the age of 2. Data were collected through various social media platforms such as Whatsapp, Facebook, and Instagram using Google Forms. The survey consisted of a 41-item Introduction Form and a 26-item Maternal Attachment Scale. The Maternal Attachment Scale, developed by Müller and its Turkish validity-reliability study conducted by Kavlak, is used to assess maternal attachment levels using 5-point Likert-type questions. The scale does not have a cutoff point, and it is accepted that as the scores increase, maternal attachment levels also increase. Descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, median, minimum, and maximum values were calculated. Man-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, and Chi-square tests, along with multiple linear regression analysis, were employed in the analyses. Findings: A total of 244 women participated in the study, including 128 physicians (52.5%) and 116 individuals from various professions (47.5%). Among the participants, 48.3% were in the age group of 30-34, followed by 21.8% in the age groups of 20-24 and 35-39. It was determined that 98.4% of the participating mothers had given birth to a single child, and 88.5% had conceived spontaneously. During childbirth, 43.4% of the participants reported feeling stressed, 26.2% felt fearful, 27.9% experienced pain, and 59.4% felt happy. Furthermore, 58.6% of the participants stated that they breastfed their babies within the first hour after delivery.In the study, 190 participants (77.9%) reported that their babies breastfed for varying durations. The participants obtained an average score of 97.84 (± 7.06) on the Maternal Attachment Scale. The analyses revealed that mothers with twins had a lower level of attachment to their babies. Maternal attachment levels of mothers who were separated from their babies for a long time were found to be lower. Additionally, mothers who experienced stress during childbirth also showed decreased levels of maternal attachment. There has been no significant change in the maternal attachment levels of mothers who reported their birth experience as painful, fearful, or happy. Binary analyses revealed a relationship between maternal age and maternal attachment levels, with the highest attachment observed in mothers aged 30-34. However, multiple regression analyses indicated that there was no significant relationship between age and maternal attachment. During the pairwise comparisons, it was observed that maternal attachment levels were higher in mothers who conceived naturally in comparison to those who used assisted reproductive techniques. Nevertheless, this significance did not endure in the multiple regression analyses. Results: There is no direct relationship between maternal attachment, profession, and breastfeeding. Being a mother of twins (p=0,004), having experienced a long-term separation with her baby (p=0,019), and being stressed during birth (p=0,021) were determined as factors that reduced maternal attachment. Although spontaneous pregnancy (p=0,022) increased maternal attachment in pairwise analyses, this significance was not sustained in lineer regression analyses. In addition, no relationship was found between breastfeeding status and duration and maternal attachment. The psychopathologies caused by attachment-related issues in adulthood pose a significant burden on community mental health. Educational and intervention programs regarding attachment and breastfeeding will contribute to the community's mental health by supporting infants' healthy physical development.