Spanish Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire: further validation and proposal for a reduced version

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Maternal-Child Health
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Previous Spanish validation studies of the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ) had limitations in diagnostic range, clinical severity, and factor structure consistency.
• Further validation is needed to address these limitations in the Spanish population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the factor structure of the PBQ in Spanish mothers.
• To validate the full 25-item Spanish version (PBQ25) and a reduced 14-item version (PBQ14) in mothers with and without bonding disorders.
• To include a broader range of bonding issues and more severe cases than in prior Spanish validations.

Main Methods:

• Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on a sample of 364 mothers to assess PBQ factor structures.
• Criterion validity was evaluated in a separate sample of 162 mothers by comparing PBQ scores with Stafford Interview diagnoses.
• Two independent samples of mothers were utilized for data collection.

Main Results:

• The factorial validity of the 25-item Spanish version (PBQ25) and the 14-item version (PBQ14) was confirmed in the Spanish population.
• Optimal cut-off points were identified: PBQ25 score of 19+ and PBQ14 score of 14+ indicate potential bonding disorders.
• The study successfully validated both versions for use in Spain.

Conclusions:

• The Spanish version of the PBQ (PBQ25) is further validated, confirming its factorial validity.
• The PBQ14 is proposed as a short, versatile, and clinically useful screening tool for mother-infant bonding disorders in Spain.
• This research enhances the diagnostic capabilities for postpartum bonding issues in the Spanish context.