A structural equation modelling of the buffering effect of social support on the report of common mental disorders in Zimbabwean women in the postnatal period.
Tanaka KasekeJames JanuaryCatherine TadyanemhanduMatthew ChiwaridzoJermaine M DambiPublished in: BMC research notes (2019)
The mothers' mean age was 26.6 (SD 5.6) years. The mean Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support score was 42.7 (SD 10.8), denoting high levels of SS. Additionally, 29.1% of the population reported excessive psychiatric morbidity, the median Shona Symptoms Questionnaire score was 5 (IQR: 2-8). The structural equation model demonstrated the buffering effects of SS on psychiatric morbidity (r = - 0.585, p = 0.01), and accounted for 70% of the variance. Being unmarried, increased maternal age, lower educational and income levels were associated with poorer maternal mental health. There is a need for routine; surveillance and treatment of CMDs in women in the postnatal period, including integration of low-cost, evidenced-based and task-shifting SS interventions.
Keyphrases
- social support
- mental health
- pregnancy outcomes
- low cost
- depressive symptoms
- polycystic ovary syndrome
- preterm infants
- birth weight
- mental illness
- pregnant women
- physical activity
- public health
- weight gain
- psychometric properties
- type diabetes
- sleep quality
- breast cancer risk
- clinical practice
- metabolic syndrome
- insulin resistance
- combination therapy
- patient reported
- replacement therapy