Antenatal Stress, marital satisfaction and antenatal depression of Chinese couples: An actor - partner interdependence model extended to mediation

Background Pregnant women exhibit heightened vulnerability to stress and an elevated risk of depression during gestation. Antenatal depression increases the likelihood of adverse outcomes, including postpartum depression. Current research often overlooks the spouse's role, focusing solely on the pregnant woman. Aims To explore couple-based antenatal stress interactions on depression and the mediating role of marital satisfaction. Methods Convenience sampling method was used to select 244 couples attending Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Fujian province as the study subiects. The path relationships between antenatal stress, marital quality and antenatal depression of couples were analysed by APIMeM. Results Individual antenatal stress exerts a direct effect on antenatal depression, both within the individual and in their spouse. Furthermore, marital satisfaction mediated the actor effect of antenatal stress and depression in wives, as well as the partner effect of antenatal stress in husbands on their wives’ antenatal depression. Conclusion Antenatal emotions exhibit cross-partner effects, and the marital satisfaction may serve as a potential mediating factor in the relationship between antenatal stress and antenatal depression. Couples are encouraged to prioritize stress management during pregnancy, enhancing marital satisfaction can mitigate the harmful effects of antenatal stress on depression, potentially improving pregnancy outcomes and postnatal health.