1798 – Perfectionism, Insomnia And Depressive Symptoms In The Post-partum

Abstract

Introduction

It has been shown that perfectionism constitutes a risk factor both for insomnia and postpartum depression.

Objective

To analyse the relationship between perfectionism, depressive symptoms and insomnia in the postpartum.

Methods

201 3-months postpartum women (M=12.27 ± .91 weeks postpartum) completed the Portuguese versions of Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS) and Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS). Three MPS dimensions derived by factorial analysis with data from this sample were used: Self-Oriented Perfectionism/SOP, Social Prescribed Perfectionism-Conditional Acceptance/SPP-CA and SPP-Others Highs Standards/OHS. Women also answered 5 questions about sleep, considering the previous month, based on which three insomnia groups were formed: Good Sleepers/GS (women without insomnia symptoms or daytime impairment); Insomnia Symptoms Group (women with at least one insomnia symptom but no daytime impairment); Insomnia Syndrome Group/ISG (women with at least one insomnia symptom and sleep related daytime impairment).

Results

Insomnia and PDSS were correlated (r = .39, pr < .01). SOP was not correlated with insomnia neither with PDSS total score. SPP-CA was significantly correlated with insomnia and with PDSS (rr > .25, pr < .01). SPP-OHS was only significantly correlated with insomnia (r = .14, pr < .05). SPP-CA mean scores were significantly higher in ISG than in GS (23.45 ± 3.032 vs. 18.98 ± 8.81, p = 002). Considering insomnia as a quantitative variable, linear regression showed that SPP-CA (β = .20, p = .005) and PDSS (β = .17, p = .021) were both significant predictors of insomnia, explaining 8.7% of variance (pr < .001). The mediation analysis revealed that SPP-CA partially mediated the relationship between PDSS and insomnia (IC 95% .008-.005).

Conclusion

SPP-C is a relevant correlate of postpartum insomnia.