Is positive affect in pregnancy protective of postpartum depression?

Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria

Sandra Carvalho Bos²  António Macedo²  Mariana Marques²  Ana Telma Pereira²  Berta Rodrigues Maia²  Maria João Soares²  José Valente²  Ana Allen Gomes¹  Maria Helena Azevedo² 

[1] ,Universidade de Coimbra Faculty of Medicine Department of Psychological Medicine,Portugal

关键词: Negative Affect;    Positive Affect;    Profile of Mood States;    Pregnancy;    Postpartum Depression;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.rbp.2011.11.002

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the predictive/protective role of negative affect/positive affect in late pregnancy on the outcome of postpartum depression. METHODS: A total of 491 pregnant women participated in the study. The participants were asked to fill out a series of questionnaires, which included the Profile of Mood States, the Beck Depression Inventory-II, psychosocial variables and socio-demographic characteristics and were asked to participate in a psychiatric interview. After delivery, 272 mothers participated again in the study and filled out a similar series of questionnaires. RESULTS: Negative affect was associated with more intense depressive symptomatology, more self-perceived stress, lower self-reported social support, lower quality of life and perception of having a more difficult infant. By contrast, positive affect was negatively associated with these variables. Negative affect in late pregnancy increased the likelihood of experiencing postpartum depression (DSM-IV/OR = 2.1, 95%CI = 1.3-3.4, p = .003; ICD-10/OR = 2.1, 95%CI = 1.5-3.0, p < .001), while positive affect increased the odds of not having this condition (DSM-IV/OR = 2.0, 95%CI = 1.5-2.7, p = .042). CONCLUSION: In pregnancy, negative affect was a predictor of postpartum depression, whereas positive affect showed a protective role. Future studies are required to explore whether psychotherapeutic strategies focusing on decreasing negative affect and enhancing positive affect in the last trimester of pregnancy can reduce the risk of postpartum depression.

【 授权许可】

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