Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Feb 1;43(1):12-21.
doi: 10.1590/1516-4446-2019-0764. eCollection 2020.

Partner relationship quality predicts later postpartum depression independently of the chronicity of depressive symptoms

Alexandre Faisal-Cury  1 , Karen Tabb  2 , Alicia Matijasevich  1
Affiliations

Partner relationship quality predicts later postpartum depression independently of the chronicity of depressive symptoms

Alexandre Faisal-Cury et al. Braz J Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Objective: Given the lifelong implications of extended postpartum depression (PPD), research is needed to examine the social factors implicated in its development (such as relationship quality) and associated predictors. This study sought to examine the association of partner relationship quality (PRQ) and decline of sexual life (DSL) with maternal PPD at 12-15 months after childbirth.

Methods: Prospective study of 294 low-income postpartum women. A structured questionnaire and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) captured responses for the main outcome variable and covariates.

Results: The prevalence of the main outcome (PPD at 12-15 months) was 19.1%. Using logistic regression models, low PRQ (risk ratio [RR] = 1.58, 95%CI 1.01-2.49) and DSL (RR = 1.97, 95%CI 1.23-3.15) were associated with PPD at 12-15 months even after controlling for perinatal depression.

Conclusions: Late PPD (12 to 15 months after giving birth) is very common among low-income women, and is independently associated with different aspects of the couple's relationship. Improving PRQ may prevent late PPD. Future investigations are warranted.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Flow diagram of participant inclusion.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. O'Hara MW, McCabe JE. Postpartum depression: current status and future directions. Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2013;9:379–407. - PubMed
    1. Gelaye B, Rondon MB, Araya R, Williams MA. Epidemiology of maternal depression, risk factors, and child outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries. Lancet Psychiatry. 2016;3:973–82. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Lovejoy MC, Graczyk PA, O'Hare E, Neuman G. Maternal depression and parenting behavior: a meta-analytic review. Clin Psychol Rev. 2000;20:561–92. - PubMed
    1. Kingston D, Tough S, Whitfield H. Prenatal and postpartum maternal psychological distress and infant development: a systematic review. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2012;43:683–714. - PubMed
    1. Slomian J, Honvo G, Emonts P, Reginster JY, Bruyère O. Consequences of maternal postpartum depression: a systematic review of maternal and infant outcomes. Womens Health (Lond) Jan-Dec. 2019;15:1745506519844044.. doi: http://10.1177/1745506519844044. - DOI - PMC - PubMed