Abstract:
The purposes of this research were to examine the relationships between age, perceived pregnancy risks, perceived maternal competence, marital relationship, social support, and antepartum depressionin pregnant women and to determine abilities of age, perceived pregnancy risks, perceived maternal competence, marital relationship and social support in predicting antepartum depression. One hundred and twenty subjects who were in third trimester of pregnancy (Gestational age 28-40 weeks) and attended the antenatal clinic at Samutsakorn Hospital and Prapokklao Hospital. Research instruments were perceived pregnancy risks, perceived maternal competence, marital relationship, social support, and antepartum depression questionnaires. The content validity and internal consistency were established. Cronbach's alpha were .86 .70 .77 .90 and .79 respectively. Statistical techniques used in data analysis were percentage, mean, standard deviation, Pearson's product moment correlation, and multiple regression. Major finding were as follows: 1. The incidence of antepartum depression was 12.51 percents. 2. Age and perceived pregnancy risks were not significantly correlated with antepartum depression. Perceived maternal competence was significantly negatively correlated with antepartum depression (r = -.26, p < .01). Marital relationship and Social support were significantly negatively correlated with antepartum depression, respectively (r = -.58 p < .01, r = -.48 p < .01). 3. For the predictive abilities, all predictors together accounted for 39.9 percents of the variance in predicting antepartum depression (R[superscript 2] = .399, F = 15.148, p < .05). The standardized equation derived from the analysis waw: Z[subscript Depression] = -.520(marital relationship) - .252(social support) - .062(perceived pregnancy risks) - .016(age) + .004(perceived maternal competence)