Parental Phubbing Mediates the Association Between Postpartum Depression Symptoms and the Mother-Infant Bonding...

Mother-infant bonding develops when the mother is emotionally and physically present in her infant's life, offering affection and manifesting nurturing behaviors. However, this process may be disrupted by factors such as postpartum depression symptoms or other dysfunctional parenting behaviors (e.g., emotional unavailability or excessive maternal smartphone use), both of which can reduce maternal availability. While researchers have widely explored mother-infant bonding disorders, there has been little research investigating its associations with parenting behavior, such as phubbing, particularly in the context of postpartum depression symptoms. The current study aimed to (1) explore associations between postpartum depression symptoms, parental phubbing, and mother-infant bonding disorder, and (2) explore the possible mediating role of parental phubbing on the link between postpartum depression symptomatology and maternal-infant bonding disorder. Using a cross-sectional web-based survey, we included 488 adult women (M age = 30 years, SD = 4.76) who had an infant aged between 0 weeks and 12 months of age (M age = 175.98 days, SD = 105.34). They completed self-report questionnaires assessing mother-infant bonding (the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire), parental phubbing (the Distraction in Social Relations and Use of Parent Technology), and postpartum depression symptoms (the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale). Current postpartum depression symptomatology was 56.1%, 12.1% scored above the bonding disorder cut-off, and 4.1% had severe bonding disorder. Higher levels of postpartum depression symptoms were correlated with higher parental phubbing and impaired bonding. Parental phubbing partially mediates the relationship between postpartum depression symptoms and maternal-infant bonding disorder. Our findings provide a new mediation model for the association between postpartum depression symptoms and mother-infant bonding disorder. Considering the growing prevalence of mobile device use and the potential risks underscored in this study, parenting, educational, and behavioral programs may benefit from incorporating specific strategies and information to enhance parental knowledge and interpersonal competency. These preventive intervention strategies may have the potential to be particularly beneficial for mothers at heightened risk for postpartum depression.