Predicting Postpartum Depressive Symptoms from Pregnancy Biopsychosocial Factors: A Longitudinal Investigation Using Structural Equation Modeling

Verónica Martínez-Borba, Carlos Suso-Ribera, Jorge Osma and Laura Andreu-Pejó
Additional contact information
Verónica Martínez-Borba: Department of Basic and Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Jaume I University, Avda, Vicent Sos Baynat s/n, 12071 Castellon de la Plana, Spain
Carlos Suso-Ribera: Department of Basic and Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Jaume I University, Avda, Vicent Sos Baynat s/n, 12071 Castellon de la Plana, Spain
Jorge Osma: Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón, C/ San Juan Bosco, 13, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Laura Andreu-Pejó: Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón, C/ San Juan Bosco, 13, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 22, 1-15

Abstract: The prediction of postpartum depression (PPD) should be conceptualized from a biopsychosocial perspective. This study aims at exploring the longitudinal contribution of a set of biopsychosocial factors for PPD in perinatal women. A longitudinal study was conducted, assessment was made with a website and included biopsychosocial factors that were measured during pregnancy (n = 266, weeks 16–36), including age, affective ambivalence, personality characteristics, social support and depression. Depression was measured again at postpartum (n = 101, weeks 2–4). The analyses included bivariate associations and structural equation modeling (SEM). Age, affective ambivalence, neuroticism, positive, and negative affect at pregnancy were associated with concurrent depression during pregnancy (all p < 0.01). Age, affective ambivalence, positive affect, and depression at pregnancy correlated with PPD (all p < 0.05). Affective ambivalence (β = 1.97; p = 0.003) and positive (β = −0.29; p < 0.001) and negative affect (β = 0.22; p = 0.024) at pregnancy remained significant predictors of concurrent depression in the SEM, whereas only age (β = 0.27; p = 0.010) and depression (β = 0.37; p = 0.002) at pregnancy predicted PPD. Biopsychosocial factors are clearly associated with concurrent depression at pregnancy, but the stability of depression across time limits the prospective contribution of biopsychosocial factors. Depression should be screened early during pregnancy, as this is likely to persist after birth. The use of technology, as in the present investigation, might be a cost-effective option for this purpose.

Keywords: pregnancy; postpartum; depressive symptoms; risk factors; biopsychosocial; longitudinal studies; information and communication technologies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/22/8445/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/22/8445/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:22:p:8445-:d:445184

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().