Relationship, social support, and personality as psychosocial determinants of the risk for postpartum blues

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to identify factors increasing or decreasing the risk for postpartum blues. Material and methods:A total of 101 women in their first week postpartum were included in the study. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, questions concerning their medical and social status, and psychological tests (the Neo-Five Factor Personality Inventory NEO-FFI, the Mieczysław Plopa and Jan Rostowski Marriage Questionnaire, and the Berlin Social Support Scales) were used.Results: The probability of postpartum blues was detected in 16.8% of the respondents. The risk decreased with higher satisfaction with intimacy (OR = 0.81), partner similarity (OR = 0.78), and the overall satisfaction with the relationship (OR = 0.94), while higher disappointment elevated that risk (OR = 1.12). As far as social support is concerned, further independent factors included perceived available social support (OR = 0.31), perceived instrumental social support (OR = 0.24), need for support (OR = 2.74), and protective buffering support (OR = 3.41). High level of neuroticism as well as fear of childbirth increased the risk for postpartum blues (OR = 2.17 and OR = 1.30, respectively). High level of extraversion and better quality of sleep constituted protective factors (OR = 0.74 and OR = 0.60, respectively). Conclusions:Maternal disappointment with marriage/relationship, neuroticism and introversion, poor quality of sleep, fear of childbirth, and seeking social support are among the factors signaling the need for careful observation for signs of possible postpartum mood disorders both, during hospitalization and the follow-up visits.

Personality type, social support and other correlates of risk for affective disorders in early puerperium

“…In the study, we found that most of the sociodemographic factors were not associated with postpartum mood disorders, which is consistent with the literature [1,5,9,13]. No consistent relationship was found between these disorders and the type of relationship, which is contrary to some reports [1,5,7,17].…”

“…No consistent relationship was found between these disorders and the type of relationship, which is contrary to some reports [1,5,7,17]. The much larger group of patients (over five times) allowed us to verify our previous results, where we included the risk factors of extraversion, quality of sleep, and the need for social support [9]. Moreover, the influence of social support was indicated [5,9,18,19].…”

“…stressful life events, lonely motherhood [1,2], cohabitation [7]). As for the psychological causes of postnatal mood disorders, a high level of neuroticism or a low level of extraversion have been mentioned [1,2,8,9], as well as the lack of social support, especially the patient's perception of being supported, the need for support and other aspects [9].…”

Labor pain relief and postpartum depression. Is there a correlation?

“…Послеродовый блюз проявляется психоэмоциональной лабильно-стью, снижением настроения и беспричинной плаксивостью, раздражительностью. Беби-блюз не считается патологическим течением послеродового периода, развивается в резуль-тате гормональных изменений в организме родильницы, однако он может быть фактором риска развития послеродовой депрессии или тревожных расстройств [9,10].…”

“…Основной причиной формирования депрес-сии считаются гормональные изменения в те-чение беременности, во время родоразреше-ния и в послеродовом периоде [11,12]. Также в патогенезе развития депрессии задействова-ны психологические, физические, социальные и акушерские причины [2,10,13]. Кроме этого, одной из причин развития ПРД может быть пе-ренесенная интенсивная боль и стресс во время родоразрешения.…”