Relationship Between Prenatal Depression and Psychological Capital in Pregnant Women in Guangdong, China: The Mediating Role of Coping Styles

Background Coping styles and psychological capital are both associated with the mental health of pregnant women. However, the relationships among psychological capital, coping styles, and prenatal depression in pregnant women have not yet received sufficient attention. This study examines how coping styles mediate the link between psychological capital and prenatal depression in pregnant women. Methods A cross‐sectional study was conducted from March 2024 to December 2024. Pregnant women ( n = 769) were recruited from two hospitals in Guangdong Province, China. All participants completed the Positive PsyCap Questionnaire, the Simple Coping Style Questionnaire, and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Spearman correlation analysis was applied to explore the relationships among psychological capital, coping style, and prenatal depression and to evaluate the mediating role of coping style. Results Prenatal depression was detected in 34.70% of participants. Both psychological capital and positive coping strategies were significantly negatively correlated with prenatal depression ( r = −0.46, p < 0.001 and r = −0.26, p < 0.001, respectively). In contrast, a significant positive correlation was observed between negative coping strategies and prenatal depression ( r = 0.18, p < 0.001). Psychological capital can directly affect prenatal depression, and coping style is the intermediary variable between psychological capital and depression, with a mediating effect of −0.51 and accounting for approximately 11.87% of the total effect of psychological capital on prenatal depression. Conclusion Psychological capital can not only directly affect prenatal depression, but it can also alleviate it by increasing positive coping or suppressing negative coping. Healthcare professionals should pay attention to the mental health status of pregnant women, improve the level of psychological capital, and guide positive responses to improve prenatal depression.