Relationship, social support, and personality as psychosocial determinants of the risk for postpartum blues

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to identify factors increasing or decreasing the risk for postpartum blues.

Material and methods: A total of 101 women in their first week postpartum were included in the study. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, questions concerning their medical and social status, and psychological tests (the Personality Inventory NEO-FFI, The Mieczysław Plopa and Jan Rostowski Marriage Questionnaire, and the Berlin Social Support Scales) were used.

Results: The probability of postpartum blues was detected in 16.8% of the respondents. The risk decreased with higher satisfaction with intimacy (OR = 0.81), partner similarity (OR = 0.78), and the overall satisfaction with the relationship (OR = 0.94), while higher disappointment elevated that risk (OR = 1.12). As far as social support is concerned, further inde­pendent factors included perceived available social support (OR = 0.31), perceived instrumental social support (OR = 0.24), need for support (OR = 2.74), and protective buffering support (OR = 3.41). High level of neuroticism as well as fear of childbirth increased the risk for postpartum blues (OR = 2.17 and OR = 1.30, respectively). High level of extraversion and better quality of sleep constituted protective factors (OR = 0.74 and OR = 0.60, respectively).

Conclusions: Maternal disappointment with marriage/relationship, neuroticism and introversion, poor quality of sleep, fear of childbirth, and seeking social support are among the factors signaling the need for careful observation for signs of possible postpartum mood disorders both, during hospitalization and the follow-up visits.