Abstract
The purpose of the study was to differentiate among various postpartum stressors and to compare women's postpartum stress, social support, and mental health status in relation to parity differences. A non-experimental quantitative study with cross-sectional design was carried out. A total of 435 primiparas and 426 multiparas from clinics and hospitals in southern Taiwan were recruited for the study. The Hung Postpartum Stress Scale, the Social Support Scale, and the 12-item Chinese Health Questionnaire were used to compare the postpartum stress, social support, and mental health status of primiparous and multiparous women. Compared with multiparas, the mean scores of primiparas were higher for postpartum stress, concerns about negative body changes, concerns about maternal role attainment, as well as for measures of social support, family support, and friend support. However, multiparas had higher scores than primiparas regarding concerns about lack of social support. The mental health status of the two groups did not differ significantly by parity. The primiparous women and multiparous women experienced unique postpartum stressors. The results suggest that it is important to identify specific postpartum stressors for primiparas and multiparas when providing supportive interventions. Specifically tailored nursing interventions based on differences in parity may help reduce postpartum stress and help prevent the development of more severe mental health problems among postpartum women.