The effect of mothers anxiety level on maternal attachment in the postpartum period

This study was conducted as a descriptive and cross-sectional study to determine the relationship between postpartum anxiety and maternal attachment levels in mothers with infants aged 4-16 weeks. The sample consisted of 260 mothers who visited the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Outpatient Clinic at Büyükçekmece Mimar Sinan State Hospital between November 2024 and April 2025, were in the postpartum period, had infants aged between four and sixteen weeks, and were selected using simple random sampling. Data were collected using face-to-face interviews with the Postpartum Mothers Descriptive Information Form, Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale (PSAS), and Maternal Attachment Scale prepared by the researchers. The age range of the postpartum mothers participating in the study was 18-45, with an average age of 30.60±5.38. It was determined that the majority of women were primary school/high school graduates (57.7%); housewives (62.3%); had a balanced income-expense ratio (67.3%); and had a nuclear family structure (93.5%). The total mean PSAÖ score was 83.30±20.02 (medium level), with a score range of 51-164. In the PSAÖ sub-dimensions, the average AYBK score was 23.95±6.00; the average BGRK score was 18.29±4.86; the average PBBK score was 11.39±3.67; and the average APU score was 29.68±8.79. The mean MBÖ score was 100.72±4.16, with scores ranging from 82.00 to 104.00. This study found a statistically positive and significant relationship between the PSAÖ subdimensions. A low level of negative and significant relationship was found between MBÖ and PPSAÖ (r = -0.143; p>0.05). A statistically low level of significant negative correlation was found between MBÖ and the PPSAÖ sub-dimensions AYBK (r = 0.125; p < 0.05) and APU (r = 0.126; p < 0.05). No statistically significant relationship was found between BGRK (r = -0.118; p > 0.05) and PBBK (r = -0.119; p > 0.05) and maternal attachment. In conclusion, it was determined that as mothers' anxiety levels increased, their maternal attachment levels tended to decrease.