Perceived partner support as a correlate of postpartum anxiety in early postpartum women in Turkish society

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the relationship between perceived spousal support and postpartum anxiety among women in the early puerperal period in Turkish society. Materials and Methods: A correlational design was employed with a sample of 319 women within the 0-7 days after childbirth. Data were gathered through the Sociodemographic Characteristics Form, the Scale of Perceived Spousal Support among Women in the Early Postpartum, and the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale. Results: Participants scored 56.76±12.50 on The Scale of Perceived Spousal Support among Women in the Early Postpartum and 101.86±26.19 on the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale. Analysis revealed that as perceived spousal support increased among women, postpartum anxiety decreased (r: -0.338, p:0.0001). Regression analysis showed that perceived spousal support significantly predicted postpartum anxiety, explaining 11.5% of the variance. Furthermore, perceived spousal support and postpartum anxiety levels differed according to sociodemographic characteristics. Conclusion: Greater perceived spousal support was associated with reduced postpartum anxiety. These findings emphasize the need for partner-oriented strategies within postpartum care to promote maternal mental health and enhance overall well-being. In this regard, it is recommended that health professionals develop training and counseling programs that involve spouses more actively in the postpartum period.