The role of early parenting in anxiety in the postpartum period

The present study was a longitudinal investigation into the effects of perceived parental overprotection and care on maternal anxiety levels in the postpartum. One-hundred and twenty new mothers were interviewed at birth, three and six months postpartum and asked to complete the Parental Bonding Instrument and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Results suggested that recollections of maternal and not paternal parenting style were significantly related to maternal anxiety. Specifically, high maternal overprotection and the combined maternal ratings of high overprotection and low care were related to the experience of anxiety in the postpartum. This research has implications for understanding the cross-generational effects on maternal postpartum emotional adjustment.