Aim: To assess the effects of cognitive emotion regulation, emotional intelligence status and related factors on postpartum depression (PPD) in postpartum women. Design and methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted in 268 mothers with babies aged 1–12 months. The study was carried out between 01 November 2021 and 01 February 2022 in the pediatric outpatient clinic of the Medical Faculty Hospital of a province in the Central Anatolian Region of Turkey. Data were collected using the sociodemographic and obstetric data collection form, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire–Short Form (CERQ), and Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire–Short Form (TEIQue-SF). Results: Seventy-one (26.5 %) mothers received scores above the cut-off point (>13) in the depression scale. Experiencing emotional violence, having cognitive emotion regulation difficulties, and low emotional intelligence characteristics affected the risk of developing postpartum depression by 16 % (F = 13.757, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Exposure to emotional violence, cognitive emotion regulation, and emotional intelligence status reveal that they are important in identifying women at risk of PPD. These findings highlight the need for nurses to develop comprehensive cognitive emotion regulation and emotional intelligence traits assessment programs, including depression screening.