Factors That Influence Maternal Distress of First-Time Mothers: A Systematic Literature Review

Background Maternal distress is a growing global concern in health science. It is the normal response of perinatal women to the changes and demands encountered during the transition to motherhood. Since it influences maternal functioning and child outcomes, it is crucial to identify the factors that affect maternal distress to prevent or lessen its impact.Objective This article aims to synthesize all the factors contributing to maternal distress among first-time mothers.Methods The review included 71 English-language studies from Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed in Psychology and Nursing (2015–2024), with the last search conducted in November 2024. The Newcastle-Ottawa and Quality assessment with Diverse Studies were used for quality evaluation.Results Through narrative synthesis of the studies, various factors—such as psychological, social, biological, individual, situational, infant-related, paternal, pregnancy-related, and birth-related—were identified and classified into protective and risk factors. From this review, factors such as social support, maternal age, and previous psychiatric history were identified as consistent.Conclusion Only a few studies have focused on exploring factors associated with maternal distress among first-time mothers during the prenatal period rather than the postnatal period. This review can help address the gap in the literature and assist in early screening and prevention of perinatal distress. The review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD420251061749).