TY - JOUR
T1 - A Chain Mediation Model of Perceived Stress, Neuroticism, and Psychological Inflexibility on Depressive Symptoms of Chinese New Fathers
AU - Li, Danian
AU - Cui, Ying
AU - Liu, Yujie
AU - Zheng, Yanting
AU - Zeng, Yingchun
AU - Cheng, Andy S.K.
N1 - Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research was supported by the Research Project of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Bureau of Guangdong Province (20202059).
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2021.
PY - 2021/10/30
Y1 - 2021/10/30
N2 - There is a growing concern about mental health issues in new fathers, such as postpartum depression (PPD). Factors associated with PPD in men include personality traits and perceived stress. This study examined a set of hypothesized paths using perceived stress, neuroticism, and psychological inflexibility to predict depressive symptoms. A total of 189 participants took part. The mean age of these first-time fathers was 36.12 years (SD = 2.39). Perceived stress, neuroticism, and psychological inflexibility positively predicted new fathers’ depressive symptoms (B = 0.13, 0.37, and 0.31, respectively). These predictors explained 48% (R2 = 0.48) of the variance in the measured outcome of depressive symptoms in these new Chinese fathers. The total standardized direct effects of the three variables on depressive symptoms were 0.47 (95% CI [0.38, 0.53]). In conclusion, this study provides novel information about the chain mediating role played by neuroticism and psychological inflexibility in the relationship between perceived stress and PPD. Perceived stress significantly predicted neuroticism and psychological inflexibility, which in turn significantly predicted depressive symptoms in new Chinese fathers. The relationship between perceived stress and depressive symptoms was also mediated by each of psychological inflexibility or neuroticism alone.
AB - There is a growing concern about mental health issues in new fathers, such as postpartum depression (PPD). Factors associated with PPD in men include personality traits and perceived stress. This study examined a set of hypothesized paths using perceived stress, neuroticism, and psychological inflexibility to predict depressive symptoms. A total of 189 participants took part. The mean age of these first-time fathers was 36.12 years (SD = 2.39). Perceived stress, neuroticism, and psychological inflexibility positively predicted new fathers’ depressive symptoms (B = 0.13, 0.37, and 0.31, respectively). These predictors explained 48% (R2 = 0.48) of the variance in the measured outcome of depressive symptoms in these new Chinese fathers. The total standardized direct effects of the three variables on depressive symptoms were 0.47 (95% CI [0.38, 0.53]). In conclusion, this study provides novel information about the chain mediating role played by neuroticism and psychological inflexibility in the relationship between perceived stress and PPD. Perceived stress significantly predicted neuroticism and psychological inflexibility, which in turn significantly predicted depressive symptoms in new Chinese fathers. The relationship between perceived stress and depressive symptoms was also mediated by each of psychological inflexibility or neuroticism alone.
KW - depressive symptoms
KW - First-time new fathers
KW - neuroticism
KW - perceived stress
KW - postpartum depression
KW - psychological inflexibility
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85118307302&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/15579883211054351
DO - 10.1177/15579883211054351
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85118307302
SN - 1557-9883
VL - 15
JO - American Journal of Men's Health
JF - American Journal of Men's Health
IS - 5
ER -
