Date of Submission

2006

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Department

Psychology

Department Chair

Robert A. DiTomasso, Ph.D., ABPP

First Advisor

Barbara Golden, Psy.D., ABPP, Chairperson

Second Advisor

Stephanie Felgoise, Ph.D., ABPP

Third Advisor

John Mira, M.D.

Abstract

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a serious and potentially debilitating disorder that frequently goes undetected due to stigma and a lack of understanding about its course and etiology. The factor of particular interest to this study concerns the relationship between discontinuation of anti-depressant medication in pregnancy and the development of PPD. The study examined how the variables of pregnancy mood, child care stress, emotional support, instrumental support, marital satisfaction, history of depression, baby temperament, birth experience, and medication status affect symptoms of postpartum depression (PPD) in a sample of 202 patients at the six-week postpartum check-up. In addition to a demographic and mood questionnaire, the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS) was used to measure symptoms of postpartum depression. Prenatal depression, child care stress, history of depression, baby temperament, and birth experience correlated significantly with PPD. Significant inverse correlations were found between PPD and emotional support, instrumental support, marital satisfaction, and medication status. Hierarchical multiple regression indicated that pregnancy mood, child care stress, emotional support, and marital satisfaction predicted a significant amount of the variance in postpartum depression scores.

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