Featured Article
Article Title
The relationship between family support system with maternal postpartum rage
Authors
Miftahul Fikri - Department of Guidance and Counseling, Faculty of Education and Research Center for Adolescent and Family Development (RC-AFD) Universitas Negeri Padang, Padang, Indonesia
Neviyarni Neviyarni - Department of Guidance and Counseling, Faculty of Education, Universitas Negeri Padang, Padang, Indonesia
Afdal Afdal - Department of Guidance and Counseling, Faculty of Education and Research Center for Adolescent and Family Development (RC-AFD) Universitas Negeri Padang, Padang, Indonesia
Abstract
This study investigated the mediating effect of social support with postpartum rage on young mothers during the first to twenty-four months. Method in this research is c a cross-sectional survey design was used in this quantitative nonexperimental research. Subject of young mothers who have delivered the children aged one to twenty-four months women who lived in the area of west Sumatera. This study used edinburgh postnatal depression scale (EPDS) to measure which focuses on postpartum rage and the social support system scale to measure social support. Data analysis spearman Rho correlation, analysis of variance (ANOVA) test and path coefficients. After data from 121 participants were analyzed, the results of measurement showed a significant difference between postpartum rage that occurred in the group of young mothers who had their first child, which was greater than those who had a second or third child. Pregnancy has a partially mediating effect on the relationship between anger during pregnancy and postnatal depression in the first month. Findings highlight the importance of social support with high postpartum rage and provide interventions to increase their social support.
Keywords
Counseling, Postpartum rage, Social support system, Young mother
Summary of Research
“New parents [can] feel happy as well as confused, anxious, afraid or sad. [A] psychological condition [that] is a concern, especially for young mothers, [is] called postpartum rage. Postpartum rage is defined as an emotional state that occurs in young mothers after giving birth where the duration of verbal and motor behavior, as well as patterns of physical stimulation often lead to negative emotions such as fear, disappointment, and anxiety which sometimes trigger anger, insomnia, depression, delusions, sudden cry, stress, loneliness, and [an inability] to control emotions. Postpartum rage [generally] occurs six weeks after delivery… Postpartum rage can cause short-term and long-term negative effects on maternal mental health and later fetal/child development. Some of the symptoms [are] rapid emotional changes, depression, loneliness, and hopelessness that lead to thoughts of hurting themselves or even hurting the baby” (p. 339- 340).
“Postpartum rage has a profound negative impact [because] it can cause a more severe condition [postpartum depression] until their children hit the age of three years old… Women who experience the psychological condition of postpartum rage show negative behavior in which they become sadder, angrier and have a lower perception of themselves. This will create elements of the environment that are not conducive to the mother's personal development and optimal development for the child... maternal postpartum rage has many direct and indirect negative effects on child development, including lower quality of the home environment and decreased maternal sensitivity and nurturing…It is important to detect and treat postpartum rage as early as possible to avoid harmful consequences for mother and child…
This research is a longitudinal study using a postpartum rage scale questionnaire and a social support scale… Data were collected from young mothers within the first and the twelfth month postpartum. This study was conducted at two maternal clinics in Padang, Indonesia [from] August [to] November 2021. Participants in this study were young mothers [age 21-32 years old], [who had] a baby aged within one month to twenty-four months old, still [had] a husband, and [were] able to fill the instrument properly… Of the 136 participants, 121 completed the survey…” (p. 340- 341).
“The results of the study found that on average young mothers experienced postpartum rage starting from the age of 19 years to 34 years… findings found that there was a higher trend of postpartum rage experienced by young mothers living in rural areas than in suburbs and urban areas… there are significant differences in the conditions experienced by young mothers… young mothers who have their first child are more likely to experience postpartum rage than young mothers who have a second child, up to a third child” (p. 342).
“Social support… is support given by husbands, parents, family, or relatives in helping to prevent postpartum rage. Based on the results of the classification of statistical measurements carried out, it was found that the direction of the negative correlation of the two correlated variables went in the opposite, contradictory, or opposite direction. An increase in the social support variable will be followed by a decrease in the postpartum rage variable, and vice versa… The results of this study indicate that the postpartum rage association that occurs during one to twelve months postpartum is partly mediated by social support.
These results also prove that husbands are the main social support for young mothers, and also without forgetting their parents, in-laws to colleagues or relatives… Social support received during pregnancy has a major influence on the postpartum rage period” (p. 343).
“...It was found that the need for social support from family members during the pregnancy process, be it from husbands, women's families and men's families [forms] an important psychological construction related to the health of mothers and children in the future… Social support is needed to prevent postpartum depression in young mothers… social support provided by husbands, parents, and colleagues can reduce postpartum rage behavior in young mothers… Further studies of the measurement of this latent variable provide new insights into how the obtained social support system allows to reduce or prevent the occurrence of postpartum rage among young mothers” (p. 344).
Translating Research into Practice
“These findings indicate that psychosocial interventions that focus on aspects of social support during pregnancy are effective in preventing postpartum rage… It is assumed that when there is social support from family members for young mothers, it can be easier to prevent postpartum rage… young mothers who experience high postpartum rage may have difficulty in seeking and getting support from the surrounding environment. In addition, they may inappropriately display their hostility and criticism of informal and social resources in the context of intimate relationships, which may lead to lower social support… research has found that young mothers need perceived social support from family members in order to avoid postpartum rage when undergoing the pregnancy process” (p. 343).
“Improving the health status of pregnant women can be achieved by increasing social support interventions…” (p. 344).
Other Interesting Tidbits for Researchers and Clinicians
“Social support system is information or feedback from other people that shows that someone is loved, cared for, valued, and respected and is involved in social groups and there are reciprocal obligations” (p. 343).
“Previous research has reported that young mothers who experience high postpartum rage tend to show high levels of self-criticism and hostility toward themselves and others, such as their partners” (p. 343).
“Postpartum rage is defined as an emotional state that occurs in young mothers in intensity that occurs after childbirth, duration of verbal and motor behavior, and patterns of physical stimulation that often elicit negative emotions such as fear, disappointment, anxiety, sometimes triggering anger, insomnia, depression, delusions, sudden cry, stress, loneliness, and not being able to control emotions” (p. 344).
“...Women [experienced] decreased social support from important people and some women [experienced] tension in their relationships with significant others during the pandemic”(p. 344).
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