Depression and quality of life in mothers: psychosocial consequences of preterm birth
Öz
Aim: To compare postpartum quality of life and postpartum depression between mothers with preterm and full-term births and to investigate whether preterm birth is associated with differences in maternal well-being during the postpartum period. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional comparative study included 64 mothers (32 full-term and 32 preterm). Postpartum quality of life was assessed using the Maternal Postpartum Quality of Life Questionnaire (MPQOL-I), and depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics were also recorded. Results: The groups were similar regarding maternal age, education, employment status, and mode of conception (all p > 0.05). Mothers in the preterm birth group had lower gestational age, longer NICU stay, and a higher rate of cesarean delivery (all p < 0.01). Compared with mothers who delivered at term, mothers with preterm births had significantly lower scores in the socioeconomic, relational/husband-partner, health and functioning, and psychological domains of the MPQOL-I (all p < 0.01), while no difference was observed in the relational/family-friends domain (p = 0.953). EPDS scores were significantly higher in the preterm birth group (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Mothers who experienced preterm birth had poorer postpartum quality of life in several domains and higher postpartum depression scores than mothers with full-term births. These findings emphasize the importance of providing comprehensive postpartum support for mothers following preterm birth.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Destekleyen Kurum
Etik Beyan
Teşekkür
Kaynakça
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Ayrıntılar
Birincil Dil
İngilizce
Konular
Kadın Hastalıkları ve Doğum, Klinik ve Sağlık Psikolojisi (Diğer), Sağlık Hizmetleri ve Sistemleri (Diğer)
Bölüm
Araştırma Makalesi
Yazarlar
Zeynep Gün
0009-0006-2564-6600
Türkiye
Fatma Demir
*
0000-0001-5178-2071
Türkiye
A. Aktuğ Ertekin
0000-0003-2401-6616
Türkiye
Erken Görünüm Tarihi
26 Ekim 2026
Yayımlanma Tarihi
28 Ekim 2026
Gönderilme Tarihi
28 Temmuz 2026
Kabul Tarihi
21 Ekim 2026
Yayımlandığı Sayı
Yıl 2026 Cilt: 6 Sayı: 3