This study aimed to clarify the relationship between the marital relationship, bonding, and depression during pregnancy. We asked 265 mothers and 257 fathers during pregnancy, who consented to participate, to respond to a mail questionnaire, consisting of basic information items, the Quality Marriage Index, Mother-Infant Bonding Questionnaire, and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. To clarify the association between the marital relationship, bonding, and depression, we analyzed the collected data using structural equation modelling. The marital relationship predicted mother-infant and father-infant bonding (p< 0.01 and p< 0.001), the marital relationship predicted depression in mothers and fathers (p< 0.01 and p< 0.001), and mother-infant and father-infant bonding did not predict depression in the mothers or fathers during pregnancy. The goodness-of-fit index values for the mothers and fathers were as follows: CFI: 0.977 and 0.976; and RMSEA: 0.041 and 0.042, respectively. The results revealed that the marital relationship predicts mother-infant and father-infant bonding, as well as depression in mothers and fathers during pregnancy, supporting the effectiveness of providing approaches for both mothers and fathers from the perspective of strengthening their marital relationships as a basis for promoting parent-infant bonding during this period. It was also suggested that support for married couples prevents depression in both mothers and fathers, in addition to promoting parent-infant bonding.

本研究は、妊娠期の夫婦関係とボンディング、抑うつの関連を明らかにすることを目的とした。265 人の母親と 257 人の父親に対し、基礎情報、Mother-Infant Bonding Questionnaire、Edinburgh PostnatalDepression Scale、および Quality Marriage Index の回答を郵送で依頼した。構造方程式モデリングを使用して三者の関係性を検証した結果、妊娠期の母親・父親の夫婦関係はボンディングと抑うつを予測し、両者のボンディングは抑うつを予測しないことが明らかとなった。適合度指数は、母親と父親の CFI でそれぞれ 0.977と 0.976、RMSEA で 0.041 と 0.042 であった。妊娠期のボンディングを強化するために、夫婦関係強化の側面から効果的なアプローチを、母親父親両方に対して提供できる可能性が明らかとなった。