title: [Protective factors for postpartum depression].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This article examines the associations between protective factors und the occurrence of postpartum depressive symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a prospective-longitudinal design 303 pregnant women were examined at 3 points in time (T1: 1st trimester, T2: 3rd trimester, T3: 3-5 months postpartum). The analyses are based on T1 and T3.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sense of coherence (SOC-L9, Schumacher et al. 2000) at 1st trimester was on average 51.7 (SD = 7.2) - significantly above the mean of a comparison sample. 37 women (15.4 %) had a score of 10 or more on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS, Cox et al. 1987) 3 to 5 months postpartum. Pregnant women who stated that their pregnancy had been planned and desired, with a higher marital and overall life satisfaction as well as a higher sense of coherence, had a significantly lower risk for the development of postpartum depression. Using multiple regression it was found that only sense of coherence significantly predicted postpartum depression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that a higher sense of coherence at first trimester is an important protective factor for the occurrence of postpartum depression.
authors.affiliation: Dr. rer. nat. Antje Bittner, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychotherapie und Psychosomatik, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, E-Mail: Antje.Bittner@uniklinikum-dresden.de.
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Weidner
authors.forename: Antje
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bittner
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pirling
authors.forename: Michaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galle
authors.forename: Juliane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Junge-Hoffmeister
authors.forename: Franziska
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Einsle
authors.forename: Yve
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Stöbel-Richter
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005193:Family Planning Services; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008393:Marriage; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics; D012307:Risk Factors; D060685:Sense of Coherence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires