Coping strategies and maternal stressors of postpartum mothers

Abstract

The transition to motherhood is often accompanied by significant stressors, necessitating adaptation and coping mechanisms. Understanding the relationship between maternal stressors and the coping strategies of postpartum mothers is essential for identifying specific coping styles to support new mothers during this critical period. Studies on coping strategies and maternal stressors of postpartum mothers continue to be relevant in maternal and child health because motherhood is an incessant event in life. Given the gaps in the current literature on postpartum mothers’ extent of use of coping strategies and level of maternal stress, as well as the scarcity of research in the Philippine setting, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between the extent of use of coping strategies and the level of maternal stress among postpartum mothers in a selected birthing center in Iloilo City. A survey was conducted on 59 participants selected through purposive sampling, using an adapted questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed. The results showed that coping strategies had a major influence on the maternal stress experienced by postpartum mothers. Problem-focused coping (40.7%), emotion-focused coping (37.3%), and avoidant-focused coping (35.6%) were the coping mechanisms that were employed. It revealed that 39.0% of postpartum mothers have a maternal stress of 34 or below. According to the data, 39.0% of new mothers had a maternal stress score of 34 or below. Furthermore, there was a direct or significant correlation between the degree of maternal stress and avoidant coping, inverse or indirect relationships with emotion-focused coping, and no relevance with problem-focused coping alone. This study highlighted the prevalence of each coping strategy to maternal stress. However, further research with larger samples is needed to explore other aspects of the different coping strategies and their potential effects on maternal stress.