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Relationship Between Postpartum Depression and Psychological and Biological Variables in the Initial Postpartum Period

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Abstract

Objectives The aims of this study were to evaluate the predictive relationship between psychological symptomatology 24 h postpartum and depression 4 months postpartum, and analyze the relationship between estradiol and postpartum mood. Methods Two hundred women participated in an assessment 24 h postpartum and gave a blood sample for estradiol analysis. One hundred eleven of these women completed the second assessment 4 months postpartum. The Beck Depression Inventory II and the Scale of State-Trait Anxiety were used to assess psychological symptoms. Results At 24 h postpartum, symptoms of depression, trait anxiety, and state anxiety were all significantly correlated with each other. Depression at 24 h postpartum was the only significant independent predictor of depression at 4 months postpartum, explaining 28.7% of the variance. No statistically significant relationship was found between levels of estradiol and mood. Symptoms of depression immediately postpartum thus appear to be a predictor of postpartum depression. Conclusions for Practice These results suggest that early postpartum psychological evaluation of the mother, and intervention as warranted, might prevent or lessen postpartum depression.

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Funding

Present study has received fundings from Carlos III Institute, research Project Number PI10/01098.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Obstetrics Department, Universitary Fuenlabrada Hospital, C/República Checa, 9, 3° B, 28032, Madrid, Spain

    Dolores Marín-Morales & Susana Toro-Molina

  2. Health Sciences Department, Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain

    Cecilia Peñacoba-Puente & Marta Losa-Iglesias

  3. Nursing Department, Alcorcón Hospital Foundation, Madrid, Spain

    Francisco Javier Carmona-Monge

Authors
  1. Dolores Marín-Morales
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  2. Susana Toro-Molina
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  3. Cecilia Peñacoba-Puente
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  4. Marta Losa-Iglesias
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  5. Francisco Javier Carmona-Monge
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Correspondence to Dolores Marín-Morales.

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Marín-Morales, D., Toro-Molina, S., Peñacoba-Puente, C. et al. Relationship Between Postpartum Depression and Psychological and Biological Variables in the Initial Postpartum Period. Matern Child Health J 22, 866–873 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-018-2461-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-018-2461-x

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