title: Childbirth and symptoms of postpartum depression and anxiety: a prospective birth cohort study.
abstract: We investigated associations between aspects of childbirth and elevated postpartum symptoms of depression and anxiety. We employed secondary analysis of perinatal data (N = 4657-4946) from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) birth cohort. Multivariable logistic regression models (adjusted for covariates) examined predictors of elevated symptoms of postpartum depression and anxiety. Predictors included the following: type of delivery (normal physiological vs. interventive non-physiological), immediate postpartum complications, and maternal perception of the recent birth experience. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale assessed elevated symptoms of depression (score ≥ 13), and the Crown-Crisp Experiential Index assessed elevated symptoms of anxiety (score ≥ 9) at 2 and 8 months after delivery. A more negative perception of the recent birth experience was associated with elevated symptoms of anxiety at 2 months [odds ratio (OR) 1.52, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.25-1.85] and 8 months (OR 1.30, 95 % CI 1.06-1.60) postpartum but was not associated with elevated symptoms of depression at either time point. Type of delivery (physiological vs. non-physiological) and immediate postpartum complications were not associated with elevated symptoms of depression or anxiety. Our findings suggest that improving women's childbirth experience may decrease the likelihood of postpartum anxiety, but not postpartum depression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Women Children and Family Health Science, University of Illinois at Chicago, 845 S. Damen Ave, M/C 820, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA. abell2@uic.edu.
authors.forename: A F
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2262-0246
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.affiliation: Kinsey Institute and Department of Biology, Morrison Hall 13, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA.
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 W. Taylor, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, School of Social & Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Oakfield House, Oakfield Grove, Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Golding
authors.affiliation: Department of Women Children and Family Health Science, University of Illinois at Chicago, 845 S. Damen Ave, M/C 820, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Adejumo
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 912 S. Wood St., M/C 913, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pyra
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, 102 Gilmer Hall, PO Box 400400, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Connelly
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 912 S. Wood St., M/C 913, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Rubin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D036801:Parturition / Q000523:psychology*; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: ALSPAC; Anxiety; Birth; Depression; Postpartum