Immediate postpartum mood assessment and postpartum depressive symptoms

- The postpartum blues have been associated with negative and positive affect (NA/PA).
- NA and PA in the immediate postpartum (3 days post-delivery) were examined.
- NA and PA predicted depressive symptoms at 2 and 12 weeks postpartum.
- Previous trauma exposure and history of depression were included in analyses.
- Early NA and PA should be considered for postpartum depression prevention.

BackgroundNegative affect (NA) and positive affect (PA) in the early postpartum period have been associated with postpartum depressive symptoms, but the exact relationship is not well understood. This study aimed to determine if NA and PA in the immediate postpartum period predicted postpartum depressive symptoms over and above well-established predictors (previous trauma, history of depression).MethodsParticipants were prospectively recruited from a Mother-Baby Unit at a large Midwestern academic medical center in the United States from April 2011 to April 2014. Participants (N=526) completed the Daily Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ), a self-report measure which assessed NA and PA, within three days post-delivery. Participants then reported their depressive symptoms at two weeks (n=364) and twelve weeks postpartum (n=271).ResultsHierarchical regression analyses indicated that low PA and high NA after birth significantly predicted depressive symptoms early (at 2 weeks) and later (at 12 weeks) in the postpartum period, over and above previous traumatic experiences and history of depression.LimitationsThe sample was relatively homogenous, and data were from self-report instruments.ConclusionsThe current study found NA and PA in the days immediately after birth predicted depressive symptoms at multiple time points in the postpartum period. Because the perinatal period places women at a higher risk for depressive symptomatology, prevention and early intervention are critical. Measuring affect in hospitals immediately after birth may provide a more normalized set of items that is predictive of later depression, which will allow physicians to identify those at highest risk for developing depressive symptoms.