Cortisol reactivity and depressive symptoms in pregnancy: The moderating role of perceived social support and neuroticism

•Lower cortisol reactivity, social support, and neuroticism contribute to depressive symptoms.•Father’s support but not support from other sources accounted for this association.•High father support in the context of low maternal neuroticism was protective.•Different models emerged depending on how cortisol reactivity was conceptualized. Perinatal depression negatively impacts mother-infant health and well-being. Previous work has linked cortisol reactivity to perinatal depressive symptoms, but moderating effects including social support and neuroticism, have not been studied. Forty-nine pregnant women (9–30 weeks’ gestational age; GA) provided saliva samples in response to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and to awakening (cortisol awakening response, CAR), and completed questionnaires on perceived social support, personality, and depressive symptoms. Two hierarchical logistic regressions, one including the TSST response and one including the CAR as predictor variables, suggest that cortisol reactivity, social support from the baby’s father, and neuroticism contribute to depressive symptoms, controlling for GA (both p