Postpartum Depression and Social Support as Predictors for Parenting Self-efficacy among Nepali Postpartum Women

Background Parenting self-efficacy (PSE) is a parent's ability to be responsive and attentive to their child's needs, which may be greatly influenced by perinatal mental health and social factors during postpartum. Limited studies to date have examined how maternal mental health status (i.e., postpartum depression) and Social Support link to PSE among postpartum women during critical stages of infant development in Nepal. Thus, this study aims to examine the postpartum depression (PPD) and perceived Self efficacy as the predictors for PSE among postpartum women within 6 months of childbirth in Nepal. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among one to six months postpartum women who attended immunization clinics in two hospitals in Kathmandu. Conveniently selected, 128 women of both low birth weight and normal birth weight infants were recruited for the study. Data were collected using standardized measures of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Karitane parenting self-efficacy scale, postpartum social support scale, and sociodemographic questionnaire via semi-structured interviews with respondents. Data were analyzed in STATA version 17.0 using linear regression analysis. Results Respondents were ethnically and socioeconomically diverse. Results indicated that PPD was significantly but negatively associated with PSE (β= − .29, p < .001). But perceived social support from husband, family, and friends was significantly and positively associated with increased PSE (β = 2.41, p  < .001) among women during one to six months of postpartum. The results were statistically significant even after controlling for the effects of multiple control variables in the model. Conclusion PPD and perceived social support are significant predictors of PSE during the first six months postpartum among Nepali women. These findings have important implications for evidence-based interventions for early identification of women with PPD and enhancing postpartum social support after childbirth to enhance the mothers’ confidence in parenting their infants.