Maternal Reflective Functioning, Perceived Parenting Competence, And Postpartum Depression Among First-Time Young Mothers

Abstract

Becoming a mother for the first time involves substantial psychological and emotional adjustment, particularly during early motherhood. This study examined the relationships among maternal reflective functioning, perceived parenting competence, and postpartum depression among first-time young mothers. A sample of 153 first-time mothers aged 18–29 years (M = 23.41, SD = 2.61) was recruited from Lahore using convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (PRFQ), Parenting Sense of Competence (PSOC) scale, and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). All three measures demonstrated good internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of .82, .84, and .81, respectively. Pearson product–moment correlations were conducted to examine the relationships among the study variables, while hierarchical regression was used to examine the contribution of dimensions of maternal reflective functioning to postpartum depression. Independent-samples t tests were also conducted to examine differences according to working status. The findings indicated that overall maternal reflective functioning was not significantly related to perceived parenting competence (r = .01) or postpartum depression (r = .07). At the dimension level, Interest and Curiosity about Mental States was positively associated with perceived parenting competence (r = .29, p < .01). The regression analysis indicated that the dimensions of maternal reflective functioning explained 12% of the variance in postpartum depression in the final model. No statistically significant differences were found between working and non-working mothers in postpartum depression or perceived parenting competence. The findings highlight the multidimensional nature of maternal reflective functioning and the complexity of psychological adjustment during the transition to first-time motherhood.