The maternity blues in post-partum and post-operative women.
In order to establish whether the maternity blues is peculiar to the puerperium a self-rating blues questionnaire was administered to women after childbirth and after surgery. A period of dysphoria, similar in many respects to the maternity blues, was experienced by women post-operatively. The main difference between maternity and post-operative patterns of dysphoria seemed to lie in the timing of the blues, but on closer analysis many post-operative dysphoric symptoms peaked in a similar way to those in the maternity group. In the search for the cause of the maternity blues it may be helpful to study the same parameters in post-operative dysphoria.
Department of Midwifery Education, Royal Cornwall Hospital (Treliske), Truro.
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013511:Minor Surgical Procedures; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors