Breastfeeding Difficulties and Symptoms of Depression During the First 3 Months Postpartum

A negative relationship between breastfeeding duration and a mother's symptoms of depression during the postpartum period has been identified. In accordance with identity theory, experiencing breastfeeding difficulties may interfere with a woman's ability to meet her identity standard, and depression may result. Research on social support indicates that it may minimize this effect by providing environmental feedback more in line with one's personal identity standard. A quantitative quasi-experimental design was utilized for the purpose of determining whether there is a difference in symptoms of depression between women who report breastfeeding difficulties and those who report not having breastfeeding difficulties. Also investigated was whether combining degree of severity of breastfeeding difficulties with level of social support differentially predicted degree of symptoms of depression. The sample comprised women between 2 weeks and 3 months postpartum from a women's health clinic and lactation clinic who volunteered to complete a survey. As hypothesized, results of an independent samples t test showed significantly higher scores on the Hamilton Depression Inventory among women who report breastfeeding difficulties than among those who report not having them. In addition, multiple regression analyses revealed that the degree of severity of breastfeeding difficulties was a predictor of degree of depression, and that social support mediated this relationship. The findings indicate that health care practitioners need to be advised that women with breastfeeding difficulties may require additional emotional support and may need to be monitored for symptoms of depression. Doing so may contribute to positive social change by increasing breastfeeding duration and its associated infant health benefits and by reducing the incidence of postpartum depression.