Predictors of depression symptoms during pregnancy and postpartum

Abstract

In a prospective study to assess the predictive value of four factors probing levels of depression symptoms in childbearing202 primiparae from obstetric clinics at three San Francisco Bay Area Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) were studied at 10-1420-2230-32 weeks of pregnancy and 1-28 and 14 weeks postpartum. Predictors of depression symptoms were measured by six self-report questionnaires for marital relationshipstresssocial support and cognitive influences. Multiple regression analyses showed the four psychosocial factors as an entity accounted for a significant proportion of variance at each of six succeeding assessments (61%18%20%24%39% and 41%respectively). In additionthe squared semipartial correlation (sr2) showed cognitive influences measured by maternal attitudes and cognitive adaptation contributed consistently to explaining the variance in depression symptoms across all assessments. The findings offer corroborative evidence of the role of cognition (thoughtsbeliefs) in maternal adaptation or maladaptation (depression symptoms)during childbearing and show the need for further studies of the phenomenon of childbearing depression.