Postpartum depressive symptoms in the first 17 months after childbirth: the impact of an emotionally supportive partnership
Publisher DOI
PubMed ID
19636511
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: This study investigates the impact on different postpartum depressive trajectories (i.e., "non depressive symptoms", "stable depressive symptoms", "deterioration" and "improvement") from 5-17 months after childbirth exerted by emotional support that mothers receive from their partners and emotional support they provide to their partners. METHODS: Postpartum depressive symptoms were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale 5 and 17 months after delivery in a sample of 293 mothers. Emotional support received from the partners was assessed among both mothers and partners. RESULTS: The initial level and the change in emotional support that mothers received from their partners were related to different trajectories of postpartum depressive symptoms. Mothers who were living in a partnership with low reciprocal emotional support showed a significantly higher risk of suffering from "stable depressive symptoms" than mothers who were living in a partnership with high reciprocal emotional support. CONCLUSIONS: An increased risk of persistent depressive symptoms beyond the early postpartum period was observed in mothers with poor reciprocal emotional support in the partnership. Further research is needed for a better understanding of the mothers persistent depressive symptoms after childbirth associated with reciprocity of emotional support in the partnership.
Date Issued
2009
Publication Type
Article
Language(s)
en
Author(s)
Bielinski-Blattmann, Daniela | |
Lemola, Sakari | |
Stadlmayr, Werner | |
Grob, Alexander |
Additional Credits
Journal
International journal of public health
Publisher
SP Birkhäuser Verlag Basel
ISSN
1661-8556
Access(Rights)
open.access