Systematic empirical investigation of vulnerability to postpartum depression from a psychodynamic perspective: Commentary on issues raised by Blum (2007).

Besser, Avi; Vliegen, Nicole; Luyten, Patrick

doi:10.1037/0736-9735.25.2.392

Cited by 35 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 134 publications

(204 reference statements)

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“…From the perspective of personality theory, the post-partum period can be understood as a time when issues of both relatedness and self-defi nition come to the fore, imposing a reassessment of feelings of identity, autonomy and close interpersonal relationships (Besser & Priel, 2003;Besser, Vliegen, Luyten, & Blatt, 2008;Leckman, Feldman, Swain, & Mayes, 2007).…”

Section: Ppd Anxiety and Personalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Dependency and self‐criticism in post‐partum depression and anxiety: a case control study

Vliegen

Luyten

2009

Clin Psychology and Psychoth

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This study investigates the role of self-criticism and dependency in inpatient post-partum depressed women (n = 55) and non-depressed controls (n = 37) as well as the relationship between both personality dimensions and severity of depression and anxiety. As expected, mothers with post-partum depression showed not only increased levels of depression but also anxiety compared with non-depressed mothers. Furthermore, they had significantly higher levels of self-criticism, but not of dependency. In the post-partum depressed mothers, both personality dimensions were positively associated with severity of depression. However, in non-depressed mothers, self-criticism was positively associated with depression, while there was an inverse relationship between dependency and severity of depression. In both samples, self-criticism, but not dependency, was related to state anxiety. The cross-sectional nature of this study limits the ability to draw causal conclusions. The study was based on self-report and conducted in relatively small samples.

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Section: Ppd Anxiety and Personalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Dependency and self‐criticism in post‐partum depression and anxiety: a case control study

Vliegen

Luyten

2009

Clin Psychology and Psychoth

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“…Interpersonal relatedness refers to ''the development of the capacity to establish increasingly mature, reciprocal, and satisfying interpersonal relationships'' (Blatt, 1991, p. 453). Differences in the relative emphasis on processes of relatedness and self-definition delineate two fundamental personality styles, each with distinct modes of cognition, modes of defense, meaning-making processes, and coping strategies (Besser and Priel, 2003;Besser and Priel, 2011;Besser et al, 2008b;Blatt, 2008). However, an exaggerated, one-sided emphasis on one of these two normal developmental lines may lead to extreme personality traits that confer vulnerability to depression and various other forms of psychopathology.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Do Humor Styles Mediate or Moderate the Relationship Between Self-Criticism and Neediness and Depressive Symptoms?

Besser

Luyten²

2011

Journal of Nervous &Amp; Mental Disease

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This study examined whether, in a community sample of Israeli adults (N = 335), benign (i.e., affiliative and self-enhancing) and injurious (i.e., aggressive and self-defeating) humor styles mediated or moderated the relationship between self-criticism and neediness, two traits that confer vulnerability to depression, on the one hand, and levels of depressive symptoms, on the other. There was no evidence of any moderating effect of humor styles on the relationship between self-criticism and neediness and depressive symptoms. However, results indicated that the use of injurious styles of humor mediated the relationship between self-criticism and depressive symptoms as well as the relationship between neediness and depressive symptoms. Moreover, the relationship between neediness and depressive symptoms was also mediated by low levels of benign humor. These findings may have important implications for theories concerning vulnerability to depressive symptoms and intervention strategies.Key Words: Self-criticism, neediness, humor, depression, affect regulation. (J Nerv Ment Dis 2011;199: 757Y764) G rowing evidence indicates that high levels of self-criticism and neediness (i.e., maladaptive dependency) are associated with increased vulnerability to depression (see Blatt and Luyten, 2010;Mongrain and Leather, 2006;Schulte et al., 2008;Zuroff et al., 2004). However, the mechanisms by which these personality dimensions confer vulnerability to depression are still relatively poorly understood. Increasing evidence suggests that both self-criticism and neediness are associated with maladaptive affect-regulation strategies, particularly in the context of close interpersonal relationships, which may partially explain their association with depression [see Blatt and Luyten, 2009, for a review]. Humor, particularly the use of benign versus injurious styles of humor, may play an important but, until now, relatively neglected role in this context. Indeed, studies increasingly point to the importance of humor as an affect-regulation strategy, particularly in interpersonal relationships (e.g., Besser A, Luyten P, Mayes LC Adult attachment and distress: The mediating role of humor styles [submitted for publication, 2011]; Besser and Zeigler-Hill, 2011;Martin, 2007;Miczo et al., 2009;Taber et al., 2007;Zeigler-Hill and Besser, 2011). Congruent with these findings, it has been suggested that humor may play an important role in resiliency in the face of adversity (Fonagy et al., 1994;Luyten et al., 2011;Martin, 2001Martin, , 2007Vaillant, 1977Vaillant, , 2000. In light of this previous work, the present study explored the roles of adaptive and maladaptive humor styles as mediators or moderators of the associations of depressive symptoms with the vulnerability factors of self-criticism and neediness. Self-Criticism, Neediness, and DepressionPersonality development, according to Blatt (1974Blatt ( , 1991Blatt ( , 2004Blatt ( , 2008, involves the integration of a person's development of selfdefinition with the capacity for...

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“…When the fantasies were in the form of rigid, detailed plans or expectations, however, they became obstacles to the process of welcoming the actual child and the factual reality as a mother (cf. Besser, Vliegen, Luyten, & Blatt, 2008; Pyszczynski & Greenberg, 1987; Røseth et al, 2011). When encountering a traumatic childbirth, a mother may be well equipped to handle this emotionally and find a path of recovery.…”

Section: Dialoguementioning

confidence: 99%

New mothers’ struggles to love their child. An interpretative synthesis of qualitative studies

Røseth

Bongaardt

Lyberg

et al. 2018

International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well

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Purpose: New mothers may question the nature of their motherly love after the birth. Most mothers find that feelings of affection come within a week from birth. However, some mothers are still struggling with this after many months. Many studies place strong emphasis on the importance of maternal affection for the development of the child. Few studies look into mothers’ experiences when maternal affection or love remains a struggle. Method:We present an interpretative synthesis based on a systematic analysis of five qualitative studies that report findings related to mothers’ stated inability to exhibit maternal affection. Result:In answer to our question “what characterizes the experiences of women who struggle with, or are unable to exhibit, maternal affection after birth”, we identified the uncertainty involved in imagining the unborn child, birth and maternal future, birth as a disillusionment, and the ensuing process of decreasing agency and increasing alienation. Especially a traumatic birth may lead to disillusionment. Conclusion: Health care workers and research can support a mother’s positive resolution of her struggle by promoting realistic and more open expectations for maternal affection as well as her sense of agency and ownership during birth and the early mother–child relationship.

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Systematic empirical investigation of vulnerability to postpartum depression from a psychodynamic perspective: Commentary on issues raised by Blum (2007).

Cited by 35 publications

References 134 publications

Dependency and self‐criticism in post‐partum depression and anxiety: a case control study

Dependency and self‐criticism in post‐partum depression and anxiety: a case control study

Do Humor Styles Mediate or Moderate the Relationship Between Self-Criticism and Neediness and Depressive Symptoms?

New mothers’ struggles to love their child. An interpretative synthesis of qualitative studies

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