Social support and postpartum depression

• Published in: Research in nursing & health Vol. 17; no. 6; p. 449
• Main Authors: Logsdon, M C, McBride, A B, Birkimer, J C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-12-1994
• Subjects: Adult; Depression - psychology; Female; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Male; Marriage; Puerperal Disorders - psychology; Social Support; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0160-6891
• DOI: 10.1002/nur.4770170608

Discrepancies between prenatal social support expectations and subsequent perceptions of support actually received were examined in relation to postpartum depression. Low-risk primiparous women (N = 105) were surveyed 1 month before and 1 month after delivery. Almost half of the women prenatally and one third postpartially had depression scores which would lead them to be classified as possibly depressed (CES-D scores of 16 or greater). In multiple regression, two social support discrepancy measures, prenatal depression and postpartal closeness to husband, correlated with postpartal depression and accounted for nearly 40% of its variance. The generalizability of the findings should be further explored, but the findings suggest the need for attention to prenatal expectations of postpartum support as a way to influence the incidence of postpartum depression. In addition, continued efforts to identify causes of postpartum closeness with the spouse are needed.