Intimate Partner Violence, Postpartum Depression and Mother Infant Bonding among First time Mothers in Kampala District, Uganda

Abstract

Becoming a mother for the first time is a significant transition in a woman’s life which comes with a number of challenges including learning new skills and changing roles to meet the baby’s needs, support the new baby . The research study investigated the relationship between intimate partner violence, postpartum depression and mother infant bonding among first time mothers. The study employed a correlational research design with a sample size of 186 first time mothers from Kawempe Region Referral Hospital. Data was collected using self-report structured questionnaires. Results from the study revealed that there is no relationship between Mother-Infant Bonding and IPV (r (184) = -0.141, p>0.01). However, results indicate that there is a relationship between Intimate Partner Violence and Postpartum Depression (r (184) = -0.369**, p<0.01). In addition, results indicated that there is no relationship between Mother-Infant Bonding and Postpartum Depression (r (184) = -0.099, p> 0.01). The results also indicate that there is no moderating role of postpartum depression between Intimate Partner Violence and Mother- Infant Bonding among first time mothers. In conclusion,these findings suggest that the presence of intimate partner violence does not necessarily lead to postpartum depression, and neither postpartum depression nor intimate partner violence appears to be significantly associated with differences in mother-infant bonding. Hence, it has been recommended that healthcare providers should continue to screen and assess both IPV and PPD during prenatal and postpartum care visits, as policy makers should encourage and fund further research to better understand the complex relationships between intimate partner violence, postpartum depression, and mother-infant bonding.