title: Dependency and self-criticism in post-partum depression and anxiety: a case control study.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Leuven, Belgium. nicole.vliegen@psy.kuleuven.be
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vliegen
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Luyten
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003858:Dependency, Psychological; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010551:Personality; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors