Relationship between social support and postnatal depression.

The purpose of this article is to explore the relationship between social support and postnatal depression. Social support has been shown to be an important variable in buffering the effects of postnatal depression. The availability or level of social support is an important variable in easing a woman's burden and leading to better adjustment to the new demands made on her. Social support should therefore be taken into consideration in any study of postpartum women's psychologic health. It is important that appropriate scales with psychometric qualities are chosen or developed to measure social support and depression postnatally. Only through use of the appropriate instruments can we further understand the social support processes that have an impact on postpartum women's psychologic distress.