Exploring the roles of human values and self-discrepancies in postnatal depression in first-time mothers

Postnatal depression is the most prevalent psychopathology experienced within the perinatal period and has been associated with a range of adverse outcomes for both mother and infant. In the present research, we combine two influential theories, Schwartz’s (1992) theory of human values and Higgins’ (1987) self-discrepancy theory, to test new hypotheses about postnatal depression. We recruited 80 first-time mothers who had given birth within the last six months and who self-reported experiencing low mood or postnatal depression. Participants anonymously completed measures of postnatal depression, value importance, self-discrepancies, and subjective value fulfilment. Contrary to our hypotheses, actual-ought self-discrepancies, but not actual-ideal self-discrepancies, predicted postnatal depression. Interestingly however, self-discrepancies were negatively correlated with value fulfilment. The findings within this study diverge from the relationship predicted within self-discrepancy theory and highlight how motherhood may represent a unique circumstance, in which the ‘ideal self’ has evolved to become a self that one feels morally obligated to embody. Further exploratory analyses revealed that depression was predicted by the difference between value fulfilment and value importance in conservation values, but not by differences between value fulfilment and value importance regarding any of the other value types. We discuss potential impact on discourses around motherhood, alongside clinical implications for practitioners who work with mothers during the perinatal period.