Perinatal obsessive–compulsive symptoms and maternal-infant bonding: A longitudinal examination of depression and relationship quality
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Perinatal obsessive–compulsive (OC) symptoms are common and distressing, yet their impact on early parenting outcomes such as maternal-infant bonding remains poorly understood. Although prior research links maternal depression and anxiety to bonding difficulties, less is known about how perinatal OC symptoms relate to maternal-infant bonding over time, or the extent to which maternal-partner relationship quality is associated with these outcomes, and whether depressive symptoms explain observed associations. METHODS: Data were drawn from a longitudinal study of 256 pregnant women recruited from two U.S. sites between 2020 and 2023. Participants completed self-report and clinician-administered assessments at 20 weeks (PGWK20), 34 weeks gestation (PGWK34), and at 6 weeks (PP6WK) and 6 months postpartum (PP6MO). OC symptoms were measured using the Yale-Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and the Perinatal Thoughts and Behaviors Checklist (PTBC), depressive symptoms with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), maternal-partner relationship quality with the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), and maternal-infant bonding with the Postnatal Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ). RESULTS: Prenatal OC symptom severity (PGWK34) and OC symptom severity assessed at PP6WK did not directly predict maternal-infant bonding difficulties at PP6WK or PP6MO. Depressive symptoms at PP6WK significantly mediated the association between prenatal OC symptoms and bonding difficulties at PP6MO. Higher maternal-partner relationship quality during pregnancy (PGWK34) predicted fewer bonding difficulties at PP6MO but was not associated with the strength of associations between OC symptoms and bonding outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Perinatal OC symptoms may indirectly influence maternal-infant bonding through co-occurring depressive symptoms, highlighting the importance of mood-focused assessment and personalized intervention during pregnancy. Maternal-partner relationship quality emerged as a general protective factor associated with fewer bonding difficulties but did not moderate associations between OC symptoms and bonding outcomes. Integrated screening and intervention approaches targeting both mood and OC features may enhance maternal well-being and early relational outcomes.
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,990
Funders: Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of Beijing University of Chemical Technology, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Robert and Janice McNair Foundation, Whitehall Foundation, Velux Stiftung, Rufford Foundation, Academic Medical Organization of Southwestern Ontario, London Health Sciences Foundation, Indian Council of Medical Research, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Austrian Science Fund, Dongguk University, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, National Research Foundation of Korea, Javna Agencija za Raziskovalno Dejavnost RS, Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi, Agentúra na Podporu Výskumu a Vývoja, Vedecká Grantová Agentúra MŠVVaŠ SR a SAV, Natural Science Foundation of Henan Province, Science and Technology Department of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous, Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan Province, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Caring for our Country, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Korea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute, Beijing Nova Program, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Yibin Science and Technology Planning Program, National Institute on Aging, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Fogarty International Center, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province, Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists's Applied Epidemiology Fellowship, Ministerio de Universidades, Key Research and Development Program of Zhejiang Province
OpenAlex ID: W7142174043