Between Selflessness and Differentiation in Postnatal Adjustment: Exploration of a Combined Model

The notion that postnatal adjustment requires women’s selflessness is widely accepted but understudied. This study explored the utility of a combined (selflessness × differentiation of self) model in explaining postnatal adjustment. One hundred and seventy-eight women completed the following questionnaires: Differentiation of Self, The Selflessness Scale, The Selfishness Subscale of the Omnibus Self-Test, Maternal Attitudes Questionnaire, and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. The study findings partially support the suggested model. Both selflessness and differentiation were each found to have a significant direct effect on postnatal depression and mothers’ attitudes toward their baby. However, a quadratic effect of selflessness was found for maternal attitudes only, and interaction effect was not found. It is concluded that while these two variables may independently contribute to explaining postnatal adjustment, there is a need for an advanced multidimensional model to better understand their relationship in this context.