The invisible face of social support: the relationship between perceived excessive social support and postpartum depressive symptoms among postpartum women: an analytical cross-sectional study.

PROBLEM: Social support, traditionally considered a protective factor during the postpartum period, may be associated with postpartum depressive symptoms when perceived as excessive or intrusive BACKGROUND: While existing literature primarily addresses the positive impact of social support on postpartum depression, dimensions such as the quality, perceived appropriateness, and excessiveness of this support remain insufficiently explored. AIM: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between perceived excessive social support and postpartum depressive symptoms. METHODS: This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in Şırnak, Türkiye, with 226 women in their 4th to 6th weeks postpartum, recruited via consecutive sampling. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS), and the Postpartum Excessive Social Support Scale (PESSS). Data analysis included t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and hierarchical regression analysis. FINDINGS: A strong positive correlation was found between scale scores (r = 0.730; p < 0.001). Hierarchical regression analysis showed that the total PESSS score had the strongest independent association with EPDS scores among the variables included in the model, with the final model explaining 57.1% of the total variance. Women aged 19-25 and those living in extended families had significantly higher PESSS and EPDS scores (p < 0.05). Among women with a support person at home, PESSS and EPDS scores differed significantly according to the person providing support; however, Tukey post-hoc analysis identified a significant pairwise difference only for PESSS scores. DISCUSSION: The findings suggest that, in addition to the availability of social support, its perceived quality and appropriateness are associated with postpartum depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: It is of critical importance that social support provided during the postpartum period aligns with the woman's individual needs. Therefore, healthcare professionals should take maternal autonomy and individual requirements into account when facilitating support processes.