title: Attachment security and recent stressful life events predict oxytocin levels: a pilot study of pregnant women with high levels of cumulative psychosocial adversity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent reports indicate that prenatal levels of the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) are inversely related to depressive symptomatology and positively associated with more optimal interactive behaviors in mothers with high levels of cumulative psychosocial adversity (CPA). In the present pilot study, we aimed to identify factors associated with high versus low levels of OT in pregnant women with high levels of CPA. We hypothesized that insecurely attached women, and those who recently experienced stressful life events (SLE), would have lower levels of prenatal OT.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty pregnant women with mood and anxiety disorders and high levels of CPA were recruited from the perinatal mental health service of a general hospital. Participants completed self-report measures of psychosocial stress and adult attachment style, and blood was then drawn to assess OT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lower OT levels were found among those who were insecurely attached, and among those who experienced SLE within the last year. In a multiple linear regression, both attachment security and SLE significantly contributed to a model of prenatal OT levels. These individual difference factors explained 38% of the variance in prenatal OT, which may in turn predict poorer maternal mental health and caregiving outcomes during the postpartum period.
authors: a Department of Psychology , McGill University , Montreal , Canada.
authors: Simcha
authors: S
authors: Samuel
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Hayton
authors: Ian
authors: I
authors: Gold
authors: Nancy
authors: N
authors: Feeley
authors: C Sue
authors: CS
authors: Carter
authors: Phyllis
authors: P
authors: Zelkowitz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D009769:Object Attachment; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000097:blood*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000097:blood*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D010121:Oxytocin
keywords: adversity; attachment; mood and anxiety disorders; oxytocin; pregnancy