Prenatal Attachment and Perinatal Depression: A Systematic Review

Luca Rollè, Maura Giordano, Fabrizio Santoniccolo and Tommaso Trombetta
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Luca Rollè: Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10124 Torino, Italy
Maura Giordano: Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10124 Torino, Italy
Fabrizio Santoniccolo: Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10124 Torino, Italy
Tommaso Trombetta: Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10124 Torino, Italy

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 8, 1-26

Abstract: Pregnancy is a period of complex bio-psychological changes, during which the development of an attachment bond to the fetus takes on a central role. Depressive symptoms are common during this period. Both symptoms of depression and low levels of prenatal attachment are related to negative outcomes in caregivers and infants. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement, this systematic review analyzes and systematizes 41 studies concerning the association between prenatal attachment and perinatal depression. The majority of the studies reported a significant association between the two. Specifically, prenatal depressive symptoms were found to be negatively associated with prenatal attachment. Furthermore, lower levels of prenatal attachment were related to higher postnatal depressive symptoms, although fewer studies assessed this association. While these results were found across different populations, conflicting findings emerged, suggesting they should be interpreted with caution, particularly in male samples and in non-normative pregnancies (e.g., high-risk pregnancies, medically assisted pregnancies, and pregnancies with previous perinatal losses). These results are clinically important for the perinatal screening process and for implementing preventive and treatment programs. However, future studies are needed to further confirm and generalize these results.

Keywords: prenatal attachment; perinatal depression; prenatal depression; postpartum depression; systematic review; fathers; mothers; high-risk pregnancies; pregnancy; postpartum (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 (1)

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