title: Depressive symptoms postpartum among parents are associated with marital separation: a Swedish cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study whether there is an association between dyadic consensus, depressive symptoms, and parental stress during early parenthood and marital separation 6-8 years after childbirth, among couples in Sweden.
  
  
  METHODS
  At baseline, 393 couples were included. The couples answered three questionnaires, including: Dyadic consensus at 1 week post-partum, depressive symptoms at 3 months post-partum and parental stress at 18 months post-partum. The parents' addresses were followed up after 6-8 years, to study the marital separation rate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found, 6-8 years after childbirth, that 20% of study couples were separated. Separation was associated with less dyadic consensus (mothers p < 0.001; fathers p < 0.001), depressive symptoms (mothers p = 0.022; fathers p = 0.041) and parental stress (mothers p = 0.002; fathers p = 0.040). The hazard ratio (HR) for marital separation was related to dyadic consensus for fathers (HR 0.51; 95% CI 0.28-0.92), depressive symptoms for mothers (HR 1.69; 95% CI 1.01-2.84) and fathers (HR 1.92; 95% CI 1.12-3.28), and the mother's parental stress (HR 2.16; 95% CI 1.14-4.07).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Understanding how dyadic consensus, depressive symptoms and parental stress are associated with marital separation is important for health professionals it could be useful in developing interventions to provide parents with adequate support during pregnancy and early parenthood this knowledge is also important for the public parents should get support in pregnancy and while bringing up children, which may help prevent marital separation and optimize conditions for the children.
authors: Centre for Clinical Research, Västmanland County Hospital, Västerås, Sweden Departments of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden birgitta.kerstis@ltv.se.
authors: Birgitta
authors: B
authors: Kerstis
authors: Centre for Clinical Research, Västmanland County Hospital, Västerås, Sweden Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors: Anders
authors: A
authors: Berglund
authors: Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, USA.
authors: Gabriella
authors: G
authors: Engström
authors: Departments of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors: Birgitta
authors: B
authors: Edlund
authors: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors: Sara
authors: S
authors: Sylvén
authors: Departments of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors: Clara
authors: C
authors: Aarts
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D049590:Postpartum Period; D012042:Registries; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Depression; depressive symptoms; dyadic consensus; marital separation; parental stress; parenthood