Addressing Depression and Psychological Need Satisfaction of Post-Cesarean Mothers

There were 1,174,545 cesarean births in the United States in 2021, with 316,349 being considered low risk/uncomplicated (meaning no multiple births, breech presentation, prior cesarean delivery, and preterm gestation). A challenging recovery period for those mothers impacts the fulfillment of their needs. Mothers experiencing a cesarean birth may experience mood disturbances, feelings of loss of control, and higher risks of pain, infection, and internal injury, requiring extended recovery. It is assumed that challenges of the postpartum period after cesarean delivery are linked to a mother’s psychological health, as physical and psychological health is interrelated. Millions of mothers self-report symptoms of PPD and are often untreated or undiagnosed, even though research shows that the physical process includes factors contributing to postpartum depression. However, it is unclear if there is any significance between levels of postpartum depression and levels of basic need satisfaction/fulfillment for mothers who experience a cesarean delivery. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the connection in which depression predicts levels of need satisfaction, applying the self-determination theory. The original research question inquires if the level of depression can be used to predict levels of basic need satisfaction (i.e., autonomy, competence, relatedness) with mothers’ post-CS. A predictive quantitative nonexperimental study was chosen to carry out the research. The participants included 157 American mothers, women who were 20 - 54 years of age, experienced an uncomplicated CS, and were willing to self-report on the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS) and the Balanced Measure of Psychological Needs (BMPN) scale, as well as report demographic information (age and race) through an online survey. The PDSS consisted of total scores that were categorized into two groups: High (score ≥ 60) and Low (score ≤ 59). The BMPN consisted of six variables identified by the instrument, including 5-point Likert scaled scores for satisfaction/dissatisfaction of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The findings illustrated that when the age and race variables were viewed separately, there was no significant predictability for each of the six outcome variables. However, when PPD was considered (controlling for age and race), significant predictability was shown for autonomy dissatisfaction, competence dissatisfaction, and relatedness dissatisfaction. PPD did not significantly predict autonomy, relatedness, and competence satisfaction. The findings imply that depression, autonomy, competence, and relatedness needs are significant variables to consider with mothers in the postpartum period, post-CS.