Background: Suicidal ideation is a common phenomenon among postpartum women around the world. However, evidence of the relationship between neuroticism and suicidal ideation among postpartum women is still lacking.
Methods: From March 2017 to December 2018, a total of 1027 postpartum women (assessed no later than one month post-birth) were recruited to complete questionnaires assessing neuroticism, depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation.
Results: Anxiety and depression fully mediated the association between neuroticism and suicidal ideation (Total indirect effects = 0.11, 95%CI: 0.07, 0.15). The indirect effect of the pathway of EPQ (Neuroticism)-Anxiety-Suicidal ideation was more significant than other pathways (Indirect effects=0.04, 95%CI: 0.02, 0.07).
Conclusion: Interventions for suicidal ideation in postpartum women need to target neuroticism and further research is necessary understand the mechanisms by which neuroticism affects suicidal ideation.
Keywords: Anxiety; Depression; Mediation model; Neuroticism; Suicidal ideation.
Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.