Postpartum depressive symptoms in the first 17 months after childbirth: the impact of an emotionally supportive partnership.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigates the impact on different postpartum depressive trajectories (i.e., "non depressive symptoms", "stable depressive symptoms", "deterioration" and "improvement") from 5-17 months after childbirth exerted by emotional support that mothers receive from their partners and emotional support they provide to their partners.


METHODS
Postpartum depressive symptoms were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale 5 and 17 months after delivery in a sample of 293 mothers. Emotional support received from the partners was assessed among both mothers and partners.


RESULTS
The initial level and the change in emotional support that mothers received from their partners were related to different trajectories of postpartum depressive symptoms. Mothers who were living in a partnership with low reciprocal emotional support showed a significantly higher risk of suffering from "stable depressive symptoms" than mothers who were living in a partnership with high reciprocal emotional support.


CONCLUSIONS
An increased risk of persistent depressive symptoms beyond the early postpartum period was observed in mothers with poor reciprocal emotional support in the partnership. Further research is needed for a better understanding of the mothers persistent depressive symptoms after childbirth associated with reciprocity of emotional support in the partnership.
Bielinski-Blattmann
Daniela
D
Department of Clinical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. daniela.bielinski@dkf.unibe.ch
Lemola
Sakari
S
Jaussi
Chantal
C
Stadlmayr
Werner
W
Grob
Alexander
A
D000328:Adult; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D017533:Marital Status; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012944:Social Support; D013557:Switzerland