The relationship between depression, daughter-in-law relationship, and sexual quality of life in postpartum women

The postpartum period is a process that negatively affects women’s sexual quality of life. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between depression, the daughter-in-law relationship and sexual quality of life in women in the postpartum period. Cross-sectional study was conducted between August 2021 and August 2022 with face-to-face interviews with 200 postpartum women who applied to family health centers in a province in Turkey. Data were collected with the Personal Information Form, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Mother-in-Law/Daughter-in-Law Relationship Scale and Sexual Quality of Life Questionnaire. In the study, it was determined that there was a significant weak negative correlation between the Postnatal Depression, Mother-in-Law/Daughter-in-Law Relationship and Sexual Quality of Life. It was also determined that breastfeeding status, having problems with postpartum sexuality, evaluation of postpartum sexual life, communication with the partner after birth, receiving information about sexuality from postpartum health personnel, and the relationship with the mother-in-law were predictors of the quality of sexual life in women in the postpartum period (p < 0.05). There are many factors that affect the sexual quality of life in women during the postpartum period. Therefore, healthcare personnel can provide psychosocial care and counseling services to enhance women’s sexual quality of life during this time. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2025.