Scientists have studied the reason for the prolonged persistence of postpartum depression

Postpartum depression can be associated not only with a woman's emotional state, but also with her confidence in her own parenting abilities and the support of her partner. This conclusion was reached by scientists from the University of Montreal and other Canadian research institutions after analyzing the data of 1,551 women. About why symptoms of depression can persist after the first year of a child's life and what role partner support plays in this, see the "Izvestia" article.

Postpartum depression may continue after the first year.

The researchers examined data from 1,551 mothers who participated in a long-term study. The monitoring began during pregnancy and continued after the birth of children: experts assessed the condition of women at different stages, including when the children turned one, two and four years old, as well as later. The work was published in the journal Maternal Health, Neonatology and Perinatology (MHNP).

Scientists have found that the relationship between depressive symptoms and the characteristics of parental behavior persisted during the first two years after the birth of a child. At the same time, the relationship between the symptoms of depression and maternal self—efficacy turned out to be the most pronounced - a woman's confidence in her ability to take care of a child and support his development.

At 24 months, more than a third of the participants still showed high levels of depressive symptoms. At the same time, the indicators were related to the perceived parental effectiveness of women.

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How does a mother's self-confidence relate to depressive symptoms

Researchers have found a two-way relationship between maternal self-efficacy and depressive symptoms. A woman's low confidence in her own parenting abilities in the third month after giving birth was associated with a subsequent increase in depressive symptoms. At the same time, more pronounced depressive symptoms could be associated with a further decrease in self-efficacy.

This relationship differed from the results for other characteristics of parental behavior considered. In particular, the researchers did not find a similar two-way relationship between depressive symptoms and maternal warmth or hostile-reactive behavior.

Thus, self-assessment of one's own abilities as a parent turned out to be one of the central indicators in the study. The authors note that interventions aimed at strengthening self-efficacy and emotional regulation may have implications for supporting mothers with depressive symptoms.

Partner's Support may mitigate the association with depression

Separately, scientists have studied the role of partner support. In women who perceived it as high, the association between changes in parental behavior and depressive symptoms was weaker in some cases.

In particular, with high partner support, increased maternal warmth was associated with a lower level of depressive symptoms by 24 months. In contrast, with low support, early hostile-reactive behavior was more strongly associated with subsequent depressive symptoms. In the same group, a more marked decrease in self-efficacy was associated with a greater increase in depressive symptoms.

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Why Breastfeeding hasn't changed the Basic Connections

Breastfeeding was also considered by scientists as a possible factor that could change the relationship between depressive symptoms and parental behavior. However, it was not possible to detect a pronounced protective effect in most of the studied relationships. The authors note that breastfeeding has demonstrated only a limited moderating effect. There was no statistically significant mitigation of the association between depressive symptoms and parental practices.

This means that in this study, the duration of breastfeeding did not explain the main differences in how depressive symptoms were related to parental behavior. At the same time, the work was not aimed at assessing the benefits or harms of breastfeeding as such.

Scientists urged to monitor the condition of mothers for longer

According to the authors of the study, the results show that the postpartum period should not be considered as a short period limited to the first year after the birth of a child. A woman's condition may change as the child grows up, and the psychological and social changes associated with parenthood last longer.

The authors also consider promising early interventions aimed at increasing women's confidence in their own parenting abilities and developing emotional regulation skills. In their opinion, special attention should be paid to mothers who receive insufficient partner support. At the same time, the study reveals correlations and does not allow us to assert that a decrease in self-efficacy or a lack of support directly causes postpartum depression.