Relationship between depressive symptoms and sleep quality and cognitive inhibition ability in prenatal pregnant women

Abstract

Background Sleep problems and cognitive changes are typical in pregnant women with depressive symptoms. However, the relationship between sleep quality and executive dysfunction remains unclear. This study aims to explore the differences in sleep quality and cognitive inhibition between pregnant women with and without depressive symptoms in the third trimester of pregnancy and investigate the correlations between sleep quality, cognitive inhibition and depressive symptoms. Methods In the third trimester, 169 women without depressive symptoms and 88 women with depressive symptoms participated in the study. Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Questionnaire (EPDS) was used to assess depressive symptoms, and Pittsburgh Standard Sleep Quality Index Questionnaire (PSQI) was used to investigate sleep quality. The color-word Stroop task is used to evaluate cognitive inhibition. Results Compared with women without depressive symptoms, pregnant women with depressive symptoms showed worse sleep quality and Stroop task performances (response speed and accuracy). In addition, the speed of cognitive inhibition plays a mediating role in the relationship between sleep quality and prenatal depressive symptoms. Conclusion This research emphasizes the importance of sleep quality screening and cognitive training for depression during pregnancy and childbirth in ensuring women’s mental health during pregnancy and childbirth.

Mindfulness in Pregnancy and Postpartum: Protocol of a Pilot Randomized Trial of Virtually Delivered Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy to Promote Well-Being during the Perinatal Period

“…The difference between mean response times of correct responses on incongruent and control trials is used to compute an interference score, which provides a measure of attention, with lower scores indicating greater attentional deficits and poorer response inhibition [83]. The Stroop test has been used to assess cognitive functioning in pregnant populations [84][85][86].…”