The mediating role of psychological well-being in the relationship between psychosocial health and psychological resilience in expectant women

Background Although pregnancy is a part of the natural life cycle for every woman, the idea that pregnancy is a happy period and a state of emotional well-being has now been abandoned. This process causes intense changes to woman bodies, minds and society. The study aims to determine how psychological well-being mediates the relationship between psychological health and psychological resilience in expectant women. Methods The study was conducted descriptively with 130 expectant women who attended the obstetrics outpatient clinic at a university hospital between 15.07.2021 and 30.12.2021. Results A moderately significant association between psychosocial health and psychological well-being during pregnancy (p < 0.01), and a moderately strong association between psychological well-being and psychological resilience were found (p < 0.01). Psychosocial health and psychological resilience during pregnancy were also significantly associated at a low-level (p<0.1). The result of the Structural Equation Modeling Mediation analysis reveals that psychological well-being serves as a crucial mediating role in the relationship between psychosocial health and psychological resilience during pregnancy. (beta = 0.08, t = 0.61). The model fit indices were determined as X-2=237.12. Conclusions The study found that expectant women have an important role in strengthening the association between psychosocial health and psychological well-being through their mediating role of psychological well-being.