Investigating the Relationship Between Mother-Child Bonding and Maternal Mental Health

Mother-child bonding is rooted in the affective relationship between mother and child that is shaped during pregnancy and leads to the mental growth of infants. Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the relationship between mother-child bonding and maternal mental health in Ilam. Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, 300 mothers in Ilam were selected using a two-stage cluster sampling method. The demographic characteristics questionnaire, the mother-infant bonding scale, Spielberger anxiety inventory, and edinburgh postnatal depression scale constituted the data collection instruments in this study, which were completed in the eighth to tenth postnatal week. Data were analyzed in SPSS via descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations) and inferential tests (t tests and ANOVA). Results: The results of this study revealed that the mean and standard deviation of the obtained mother-child bonding scores were 38.4812.86. Weakened mother-child bonding and risk of child abuse comprised the highest and lowest frequencies, respectively. Mother-child bonding had a statistically significant association with mothers’ state anxiety, trait anxiety, and depression, and these variables affected mother-child bonding (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Considering the relationship between mother-child bonding and maternal mental health, proper screening is required to pursue secondary prevention in pregnant mothers. In addition, it is essential to perform necessary interventions to improve maternal mental health to facilitate better mother-child bonding.