The relationship between perinatal circadian rhythm and postnatal depression: an overview, hypothesis, and recommendations for practice

Sleep Science and Practice

Review

Katherine Hall¹  Jonathan Evans¹  Jane Hicks²  Ritaben Patel³  Rosemary Greenwood⁴ 

[1] Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK;Insomnia Clinic, Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, UK;Kettering General Hospital, Kettering, UK;Research and Innovation, UHBW NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK;

关键词: Postnatal depression;    Circadian rhythm;    Mother-infant dyad;    Nature-based interventions;    Light therapy;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s41606-022-00081-x

 received in 2022-08-16, accepted in 2022-11-23,  发布年份 2022

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

Postnatal depression (PND) is an important public health problem with far-reaching consequences for mothers, families, and society. Current treatment approaches tend to focus on the depressive symptoms of the mother. We propose the need for a shift in the conceptualisation of PND and its management, by focusing on circadian rhythm as an early manifestation of mother-infant synchrony. We have reviewed the relevant interdisciplinary literature to formulate a hypothesis and suggest recommendations for practice. We hypothesise that, after a mother’s circadian rhythm becomes ‘desynchronised’ immediately following birth, persistence of this disruption is implicated in the development of PND. This has important implications for novel treatment strategies in the critical and vulnerable postnatal period, for example the use of outdoor-based interventions and light.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2022

【 图 表 】

Fig. 6