Partner's problematic social media use, woman's time perspective, and prenatal depression

Using social media can have negative consequences. The present study aimed to examine how the partner's problematic social media use (SMU) was related to the pregnant woman's time perspective and prenatal depression.

The study included 30 pregnant women and their 30 male partners. Research was conducted twice: in the first and third trimesters of pregnancy. Women completed online measures: the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory Fatalism scale (ZTPI-Fat), the Dark Future Scale (DFS), and the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS). Men completed the online Social Media Addiction Questionnaire (SMAQ).

The woman's depressive symptoms were positively associated with fatalism (r = .35, p < .01 in the first trimester; r = .49, p < .01 in the third trimester) and future negative perspective (r = .33, p < .05 in the first trimester; r = .77, p < .001 in the third trimester). Moreover, in the third trimester, women's depressive symptoms correlated positively with their partners' problematic SMU (r = .36, p < .05) and negatively with their financial situation (r = - .37, p < .05). The results of the mediation analyses showed that the more intensive the partner's problematic SMU, the stronger the pregnant woman's fatalism and, consequently, the stronger her future negative perspective, resulting in more severe prenatal depressive symptoms in the third trimester (indirect effect: β = .16, SE = .09, 95% CI [.021, .393]).

Our findings show how important the behavior of the partner is for the mental health of the pregnant woman. The results suggest a possible mechanism explaining the relationship between the partner's problematic SMU and the woman's prenatal depressive symptoms. This mechanism probably consists in increasing the woman's sense of helplessness and loss of control over life, which leads to intensified future anxiety and, consequently, to depressive symptoms. Moreover, we interpreted the results to mean that the partner's time-consuming preoccupation with SMU may make the woman feel emotionally neglected. The lack of support from the partner may give rise to feelings of powerlessness, and may cause depressive symptoms.