Acceptance-based process variables on postpartum well-being and distress: The mediating role of psychological flexibility.
<h4>Objective</h4>Although up to 20% of women experience postpartum depression and/or anxiety, current interventions are limited. Identifying the processes that impact outcomes can inform and enhance interventions. Our study aims to examine: (1) whether acceptance-based process variables...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2024-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0312454 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841555488859226112 |
|---|---|
| author | Alexa Bonacquisti Emily C Woodworth Maria Diaz Victoria A Grunberg |
| author_facet | Alexa Bonacquisti Emily C Woodworth Maria Diaz Victoria A Grunberg |
| author_sort | Alexa Bonacquisti |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <h4>Objective</h4>Although up to 20% of women experience postpartum depression and/or anxiety, current interventions are limited. Identifying the processes that impact outcomes can inform and enhance interventions. Our study aims to examine: (1) whether acceptance-based process variables (awareness, acceptance, cognitive defusion, psychological flexibility) were associated with postpartum outcomes; and (2) whether psychological flexibility mediated the relationship between treatment engagement and postpartum outcomes.<h4>Method</h4>Postpartum women (N = 266) were recruited online using snowball sampling via social media (i.e., Facebook). They completed a cross-sectional survey of validated and reliable quantitative measures assessing their well-being, emotional distress, and acceptance-based processes.<h4>Results</h4>Hierarchical regressions revealed that women with more awareness (β = .13; p = .023), acceptance (β = .17; p = .036), and cognitive defusion (β = -.46; p < .001) reported better well-being. When adding in psychological flexibility, cognitive defusion (β = -.24; p = .031) and psychological flexibility (β = -.33; p = .003) explained variance in well-being. Women with more acceptance (β = -.32; p < .001) and cognitive defusion (β = .52; p < .001) endorsed less emotional distress. When adding in psychological flexibility, acceptance (β = -.28; p < .001), cognitive defusion (β = .40; p < .001), and psychological flexibility (β = .18; p = .047) explained variance in emotional distress. Mediation models revealed that psychological flexibility explained the relationship between mental health treatment and well-being (b = 3.91, SE = 0.66, CI = [2.69, 5.30]) and emotional distress (b = -5.74, SE = 1.08, CI = [-1.26, 3.00]).<h4>Conclusions</h4>Targeting these acceptance-based processes in interventions may help to improve maternal, child, and family outcomes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ce2fb38df380464e9954b866571e6bbd |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj-art-ce2fb38df380464e9954b866571e6bbd2025-01-08T05:32:48ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032024-01-011912e031245410.1371/journal.pone.0312454Acceptance-based process variables on postpartum well-being and distress: The mediating role of psychological flexibility.Alexa BonacquistiEmily C WoodworthMaria DiazVictoria A Grunberg<h4>Objective</h4>Although up to 20% of women experience postpartum depression and/or anxiety, current interventions are limited. Identifying the processes that impact outcomes can inform and enhance interventions. Our study aims to examine: (1) whether acceptance-based process variables (awareness, acceptance, cognitive defusion, psychological flexibility) were associated with postpartum outcomes; and (2) whether psychological flexibility mediated the relationship between treatment engagement and postpartum outcomes.<h4>Method</h4>Postpartum women (N = 266) were recruited online using snowball sampling via social media (i.e., Facebook). They completed a cross-sectional survey of validated and reliable quantitative measures assessing their well-being, emotional distress, and acceptance-based processes.<h4>Results</h4>Hierarchical regressions revealed that women with more awareness (β = .13; p = .023), acceptance (β = .17; p = .036), and cognitive defusion (β = -.46; p < .001) reported better well-being. When adding in psychological flexibility, cognitive defusion (β = -.24; p = .031) and psychological flexibility (β = -.33; p = .003) explained variance in well-being. Women with more acceptance (β = -.32; p < .001) and cognitive defusion (β = .52; p < .001) endorsed less emotional distress. When adding in psychological flexibility, acceptance (β = -.28; p < .001), cognitive defusion (β = .40; p < .001), and psychological flexibility (β = .18; p = .047) explained variance in emotional distress. Mediation models revealed that psychological flexibility explained the relationship between mental health treatment and well-being (b = 3.91, SE = 0.66, CI = [2.69, 5.30]) and emotional distress (b = -5.74, SE = 1.08, CI = [-1.26, 3.00]).<h4>Conclusions</h4>Targeting these acceptance-based processes in interventions may help to improve maternal, child, and family outcomes.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0312454 |
| spellingShingle | Alexa Bonacquisti Emily C Woodworth Maria Diaz Victoria A Grunberg Acceptance-based process variables on postpartum well-being and distress: The mediating role of psychological flexibility. PLoS ONE |
| title | Acceptance-based process variables on postpartum well-being and distress: The mediating role of psychological flexibility. |
| title_full | Acceptance-based process variables on postpartum well-being and distress: The mediating role of psychological flexibility. |
| title_fullStr | Acceptance-based process variables on postpartum well-being and distress: The mediating role of psychological flexibility. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Acceptance-based process variables on postpartum well-being and distress: The mediating role of psychological flexibility. |
| title_short | Acceptance-based process variables on postpartum well-being and distress: The mediating role of psychological flexibility. |
| title_sort | acceptance based process variables on postpartum well being and distress the mediating role of psychological flexibility |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0312454 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT alexabonacquisti acceptancebasedprocessvariablesonpostpartumwellbeinganddistressthemediatingroleofpsychologicalflexibility AT emilycwoodworth acceptancebasedprocessvariablesonpostpartumwellbeinganddistressthemediatingroleofpsychologicalflexibility AT mariadiaz acceptancebasedprocessvariablesonpostpartumwellbeinganddistressthemediatingroleofpsychologicalflexibility AT victoriaagrunberg acceptancebasedprocessvariablesonpostpartumwellbeinganddistressthemediatingroleofpsychologicalflexibility |