Examination of postpartum depressive symptoms in terms of attachment, maternal attachment, and mindfulness

Postpartum depression is remarkable due to its prevalence and devastating negative effects, and therefore it is of great importance to identify risk factors. Most of the research on the subject has focused on postpartum depression, but studies on its etiology are limited. To understand the origins of postpartum disorders, it is necessary to investigate the mother's relationship with her caregiver. An individual's attachment style is also an important factor for postpartum depression. The concept of attachment, which refers to the relationships an individual establishes with his or her primary caregiver during childhood, can be a determining factor in the postpartum depression process. The concept of maternal attachment attracts attention in the relationship between attachment and postpartum depression. Maternal attachment, which occurs in the mother's communication with the baby before birth, during pregnancy and after birth, plays a role in the mother's thoughts and emotional state. Another concept that determines the mother's thoughts and feelings is mindfullness. The aim of this study is to examine the relationships between attachment, maternal attachment, postpartum depression and mindfulness. 546 women between the ages of 20-45 participated in the study conducted for this purpose. A survey form, including the Sociodemographic Information Form, the Inventory of Experiences in Close Relationships, the Maternal Attachment Scale, the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale and the Conscious Awareness Scale, was administered to the participants. The data obtained was analyzed with the package program. Significant differences were found between research scale scores according to demographic information includes the presence of desire for pregnancy, past pregnancy experience, presence of mental tension and anxiety during pregnancy, presence of health problems during pregnancy, status of receiving birth preparation training, type of birth, status of the baby being of the desired gender, presence of postpartum problems, presence of social support, presence of social support in the past, psychological disorders and therapy receipt. Correlation analysis showed that there were significant bilateral relationships between the concepts. As a result of mediation analyses, the partial mediator role of maternal attachment in the relationship between avoidant attachment and postpartum depression; partial mediator role of maternal attachment in the relationship between anxious attachment and postpartum depression; A partial mediating role of mindfulness was found in the relationship between avoidant attachment and postpartum depression, and a partial mediating role of mindfulness in the relationship between anxious attachment and postpartum depression. It was observed that the mediating role of mindfulness and maternal attachment in the relationship between avoidant attachment and postpartum depression was not significant. It was found that the mediating role of mindfulness and maternal attachment in the relationship between anxious attachment and postpartum depression was not significant. Anxious attachment, avoidant attachment and mindfulness scores significantly predict the likelihood of postpartum depressive symptoms. The findings provide valuable and up-to-date information to the literature in terms of examining the dynamics and influential concepts of the concept of postpartum depression.