The mediating role of postnatal sense of security in the relations between parenting confidence and symptoms of anxiety and depression in Chinese parents: A dyadic analysis

Abstract Background Anxiety and depression are among the most significant disorders to affect parents of newborn babies. Research shows that anxiety and depression have comorbidity with parenting confidence and the postnatal sense of security. Little is known, however, about the dynamic interactions between mothers’ and fathers’ parenting confidence, postnatal sense of security, and anxiety and depression. This study aimed to identify the actor and partner effects of parenting confidence and postpartum anxiety and depression via postnatal sense of security within one week after birth of mother-father dyad in China. Methods A cross-sectional design was used. A total of 204 mother-father dyads in Wuhan, China completed measures of parenting confidence, postnatal sense of security, anxiety and depression. The actor-partner interdependence mediation model was used to examine the dyadic relationships among the variables. Results Both fathers’ and mothers’ parenting confidence was negatively associated with their anxiety and depression through their own postnatal sense of security. Moreover, individuals’ parenting stress was indirectly related to their spouse’s anxiety and depression through their spouse’s postnatal sense of security. Conclusions The findings highlight the important roles of individuals’ parenting confidence in affecting their own and their spouse’s postnatal sense of security, contributing to the symptoms of anxiety and/or depression within Chinese parents of newborn babies. Thus, support plans and training programs are encouraged to be developed in couple-involved ways to facilitate fathers’ engagement and further promote positive experience for both fathers and mothers.