Family Factors Influencing Korean Mothers' Postpartum Depression

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of family related factors (mothers' self-esteem, mothers' parenting stress, mothers' marital satisfaction, fathers' parenting involvement, and social support) on mothers' postpartum depression. The subjects were 797 households that were extracted from the $1^{st}$ wave of the Panel Study of Korean Children (PSKC). The study variables were measured using the survey questionnaires, and analyses of Pearson's correlation and multiple regression were conducted. Results showed that family related factors significantly predicted mothers' postpartum depression. Moreover, the most significant predictor was mothers' parenting stress, followed by marital satisfaction, self-esteem, fathers' parenting involvement, and social support. Study findings indicate that mothers' postpartum depression is attributed to not only personal but also family related factors. Our results suggest importance of parent education and family support along with social support.