Maternal depression during transition to parenthood: attachment, psychopathological symptoms and stressful life events as risk factors

Journal title PSICOLOGIA DELLA SALUTE
Author/s Rosalinda Cassibba, Caterina Balenzano, Anna Santa Settanni
Publishing Year 2010 Issue 2010/2
Language Italian Pages 22 P. 73-94 File size 659 KB
DOI 10.3280/PDS2010-002006
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This study analyzes the trend of maternal depression in the transition to parenthood and evaluates the role of some risk factors, such as the insecure attachment style, the presence of stressful life events and psychopathologic disorders. Thirty pregnant women (age: M = 31.60; s.d. = 4.12) participated to the study. A longi- tudinal design was used: in 3rd trimester of pregnancy, the Edinburgh Depression Scale (EDDS, Cox, Holden and Sagovsky, 1987); the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI, Sheehan et al., 1998); the Paykel Stressful Event Scale (Paykel et al., 1980) and the Attachment Style Interview (ASI: Bifulco et al., 2002) were administered. Ten days and 3 months after the childbirth, the EDDS was telephonically administered. Data analyses show a linear decrease of maternal depression from pregnancy to postnatal period and a significant association between both prenatal and postnatal depression and the three risk factors considered; moreover, a significant association between the risk factors were found. These results show the possibility to identify some risk factors of depression during the pregnancy and, consequently, the opportunity to offer interventions to support parenthood in order to avoid that parental role and mother-child relationship will be impaired.

Keywords: Prenatal and postnatal depression, risk factors, attachment, psychopathologic disorders and stress life events

Rosalinda Cassibba, Caterina Balenzano, Anna Santa Settanni, La depressione materna nella transizione alla genitorialità: attaccamento, problematiche psicopatologiche ed eventi di vita stressanti come fattori di rischio in "PSICOLOGIA DELLA SALUTE" 2/2010, pp 73-94, DOI: 10.3280/PDS2010-002006