産後1か月から4か月までの母親がもつ育児ストレスと対処行動

Mothers' Child-rearing Stress and Coping Behaviors from One Month to Four Months after Childbirth

要旨

　目的：核家族世帯の母親が産後1か月から4か月までの期間にどのような育児ストレスを抱き，それにどのように対処してきたかを明らかにする．

　方法：健康福祉センターで児の4か月児健診を受診した，単胎かつ正期産で20〜34歳の母親に半構成的面接を行い，得られたデータを質的記述的に分析した．

　結果：研究参加者は11名であった．母親は【母乳育児に対する苦悩】，【子どものペースに合わせることへの負担】，【2人の子どもと関わる中で生じる戸惑い】，【1人で育児を抱え込む気負い】という育児ストレスに対し，【周囲の頼れる存在を認知し自ら関わり頼る】，【母親自身で対応し自己完結する】という対処行動をとっていた．

　結論：本研究により，母親誰もが育児ストレスを持ち得るものであることを医療者は認識し，母親が適切な対処行動をとれているかに焦点をあて，必要時に専門職のサポートを受けられる方法を育児ストレスの内容と併せて具体的に情報提供することの重要性が示唆された．

　Purpose: The aim of this study was to clarify mothers' child-rearing stress and coping behaviors from one month to four months after childbirth.

　Methods: We interviewed mothers who underwent a four-month checkup of their child at their health and welfare center. The mothers were between the ages of 20-34 years and had given birth to full-term infants. They also belonged to a nuclear family. The study method was based on semistructured interviews. We analyzed the data using a qualitative descriptive research method.

　Results: Eleven mothers participated in this study. Mothers faced child-rearing stress of “distress about breastfeeding,” “the burden of keeping up with my child's pace,” “overwhelmed by rearing two children,” and “taking on child-rearing by myself and feeling under pressure.” When mothers had these stresses, they coped by “depending on people around” or “dealing and solving the stress alone.”

　Conclusion: This study suggests that it is important for healthcare workers to focus on whether the mother takes appropriate coping behavior, recognizing that any mother will have child-rearing stress, and providing specific information on how to receive professional support when needed, along with the content of child-rearing stress.