Inflated responsibility and uncertainty intolerance relate to postnatal anxiety

What the study found: Inflated responsibility beliefs and intolerance of uncertainty were both associated with postnatal anxiety, but inflated responsibility was the only factor that explained unique variance in postnatal anxiety in the regression analysis. The study also found that both factors were associated with a reduced likelihood of breastfeeding.
Why the authors say this matters: The authors conclude that intolerance of uncertainty and inflated responsibility may have different impacts on postnatal anxiety. They suggest these factors may help explain the higher incidence of anxiety in postnatal women and may affect a mother's decision to breastfeed her infant.
What the researchers tested: The researchers used an anonymous online survey completed by 126 predominantly white Irish postnatal participants. The survey assessed postnatal anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty, inflated responsibility beliefs, and infant feeding, and the team used hierarchical multiple regression and multivariate tests to examine associations.
What worked and what didn't: Both inflated responsibility and intolerance of uncertainty were significantly correlated with postnatal anxiety. However, only inflated responsibility accounted for a significant amount of unique variance in postnatal anxiety, and both factors were associated with reduced likelihood to breastfeed.
What to keep in mind: The authors describe the study as small and cross-sectional, meaning it captures a single point in time. They state that the results should be interpreted with caution and that more investigation would be beneficial.

Key points

• Inflated responsibility and intolerance of uncertainty were both linked to postnatal anxiety.
• Only inflated responsibility explained unique variance in postnatal anxiety in regression analysis.
• Both factors were associated with a reduced likelihood of breastfeeding.
• The study used an anonymous online survey of 126 predominantly white Irish postnatal participants.
• The authors describe the study as small and cross-sectional and say the results should be interpreted with caution.