The association between family support and maternal parenting stress: the potential mediating role of postpartum depressive symptoms.
11 affiliations
- 1School of Global Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 227 South Chong Qing Road, Shanghai, 200025, China.
- 2School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- 3Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- 4Institute of Healthy Yangtze River Delta, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
- 5China Hospital Development Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
- 6Shanghai Key Laboratory of Child Brain and Development, Shanghai, China. [email protected].
- 7Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, 1678 Dongfang Road, Shanghai, 200127, China. [email protected].
- 8School of Global Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 227 South Chong Qing Road, Shanghai, 200025, China. [email protected].
- 9School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. [email protected].
- 10Institute of Healthy Yangtze River Delta, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China. [email protected].
- 11Shanghai Key Laboratory of Child Brain and Development, Shanghai, China. [email protected].
Abstract
Background
As a critical factor in early childhood development (ECD), parenting stress has been demonstrated to adversely affect maternal well-being and child developmental outcomes. This study examined the association between family support and maternal parenting stress and assessed whether postpartum depressive and anxiety symptoms account for this association.Methods
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1,099 mothers of children aged 0-2 years in Shanghai, China. The Simplified Chinese version of the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF), the Family Adaptability, Partnership, Growth, Affection, and Resolve (APGAR) Scale and the 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) were used to assess maternal parenting stress, family support and postpartum depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively. Regression models were used to examine the study hypotheses and evaluate whether depressive and anxiety symptoms statistically explained the association.Results
The mean parenting stress score was 26.37 ± 9.05. Overall, 24.3% of mothers reported low family support, 8.6% exhibited postpartum depressive symptoms, and 12.2% showed postpartum anxiety symptoms. Family support was negatively associated with maternal parenting stress (β=-5.415, p < 0.001). After depressive and anxiety symptoms were entered into the model as candidate statistical mediators, depressive symptoms were significantly associated with maternal parenting stress (β = 5.847, p < 0.001), whereas the association between family support and maternal parenting stress became non-significant (β=-1.924, p > 0.05). There was no evidence of statistical mediation by anxiety symptoms.Conclusions
Lower family support was associated with higher maternal parenting stress, and depressive symptoms accounted for much of the association in the specified cross-sectional model. While these findings cannot establish temporality or causality, they support the prospective evaluation of family-centered care practices within the primary health care system.
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BibTeX
@article{shi2026association,
title = {{The association between family support and maternal parenting stress: the potential mediating role of postpartum depressive symptoms.}},
author = {Jiaqi Shi and Jianing Xu and Yuyin Xiao and Chenshu Shi and Feifei Li and Yujie Cui and Chenhao Yu and Fan Jiang and Guohong Li},
journal = {BMC psychology},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1186/s40359-026-05220-y},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42919429},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The association between family support and maternal parenting stress: the potential mediating role of postpartum depressive symptoms.
AU - Jiaqi Shi
AU - Jianing Xu
AU - Yuyin Xiao
AU - Chenshu Shi
AU - Feifei Li
AU - Yujie Cui
AU - Chenhao Yu
AU - Fan Jiang
AU - Guohong Li
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/28
JO - BMC psychology
DO - 10.1186/s40359-026-05220-y
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42919429
AB - Background As a critical factor in early childhood development (ECD), parenting stress has been demonstrated to adversely affect maternal well-being and child developmental outcomes. This study examined the association between family support and maternal parenting stress and assessed whether postpartum depressive and anxiety symptoms account for this association.Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1,099 mothers of children aged 0-2 years in Shanghai, China. The Simplified Chinese version of the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF), the Family Adaptability, Partnership, Growth, Affection, and Resolve (APGAR) Scale and the 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) were used to assess maternal parenting stress, family support and postpartum depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively. Regression models were used to examine the study hypotheses and evaluate whether depressive and anxiety symptoms statistically explained the association.Results The mean parenting stress score was 26.37 ± 9.05. Overall, 24.3% of mothers reported low family support, 8.6% exhibited postpartum depressive symptoms, and 12.2% showed postpartum anxiety symptoms. Family support was negatively associated with maternal parenting stress (β=-5.415, p < 0.001). After depressive and anxiety symptoms were entered into the model as candidate statistical mediators, depressive symptoms were significantly associated with maternal parenting stress (β = 5.847, p < 0.001), whereas the association between family support and maternal parenting stress became non-significant (β=-1.924, p > 0.05). There was no evidence of statistical mediation by anxiety symptoms.Conclusions Lower family support was associated with higher maternal parenting stress, and depressive symptoms accounted for much of the association in the specified cross-sectional model. While these findings cannot establish temporality or causality, they support the prospective evaluation of family-centered care practices within the primary health care system.
SN - 2050-7283
ER -