title: Coping strategies and postpartum depressive symptoms: A structural equation modelling approach.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Variables such as the mother's personality, social support, coping strategies and stressful events have been described as risk factors for postpartum depression. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) analysis was used to examine whether neuroticism, perceived social support, perceived life events, and coping strategies are associated with postpartum depressive symptoms at the 8th and 32nd weeks.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1626 pregnant women participated in a longitudinal study. Different evaluations were performed 8 and 32weeks after delivery. Several measures were used: the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies (DIGS), the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-RS), the St. Paul Ramsey life events scale and the Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire. The brief COPE scale was used to measure coping strategies. SEM analysis was conducted for all women and in those women with a clinical diagnosis of postpartum depression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Passive coping strategies were associated with postpartum depressive symptoms at both visits (8th and 32nd weeks). Neuroticism was associated with more passive coping strategies and less active coping strategies. Neuroticism and life stress were positively correlated, and social support was negatively correlated with life stress and neuroticism.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early identification of potential risk for symptomatology of depression postpartum should include assessment of neuroticism, life events, social support and coping strategies.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, CIBERSAM, Reus, Spain. Electronic address: gutierreza@peremata.com.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez-Zotes
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, CIBERSAM, Reus, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Labad
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Department, Neuroscience Institute, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM and Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Neuroscience Program, IMIM-Parc de Salut Mar, Autonomous University of Barcelona, RTA, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martín-Santos
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Department, Neuroscience Institute, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM and Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: García-Esteve
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Program, IMIM-Parc de Salut Mar, Autonomous University of Barcelona, RTA, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gelabert
authors.affiliation: Hospital Clínico, University of Valencia, CIBERSAM, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jover
authors.affiliation: Corporación Sanitaria Parc Taulí, Sabadell, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guillamat
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Salud Mental, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Complejo Hospitalario de Málaga, Universidad de Málaga, Spain.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mayoral
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Salud Mental, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Complejo Hospitalario de Málaga, Universidad de Málaga, Spain.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gornemann
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Son Dureta, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Canellas
authors.affiliation: Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) and UPF, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gratacós
authors.affiliation: Corporación Sanitaria Parc Taulí, Sabadell, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guitart
authors.affiliation: Institut Universitari d'Investigació en Ciències de la Salut, RediAPP, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roca
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (IDIS) Servizo Galego de Saúde (SERGAS), Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago (CHUS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Costas
authors.affiliation: Hospital Clínico, University of Valencia, CIBERSAM, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luis Ivorra
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Department, Neuroscience Institute, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM and Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Neuroscience Program, IMIM-Parc de Salut Mar, Autonomous University of Barcelona, RTA, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Navinés
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Salud Mental, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Complejo Hospitalario de Málaga, Universidad de Málaga, Spain.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: de Diego-Otero
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, CIBERSAM, Reus, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vilella
authors.affiliation: Hospital Clínico, University of Valencia, CIBERSAM, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sanjuan
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D000075384:Neuroticism; D010552:Personality Assessment; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000523:psychology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011379:Prognosis; D011580:Psychological Techniques; D012307:Risk Factors; D012944:Social Support; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis
keywords: Coping; Depression; Life events/Stress; Neuroticism; Postpartum