2211 – Are Lifetime Self-reported Health (srh), Sleep Difficulties, And Negative Affect Correlates Of Suicidal Ideation In Pregnancy And Postpartum?

Abstract

Background

Suicidality has a multifactorial determination and is clinically under-diagnosed. Self-reported poor health, negative affect and sleep difficulties are associated with psychological distress, including suicidality.

Aim

To analyze the association between lifetime SRH, sleep difficulties, negative affect (NA) and suicidal ideation in pregnancy (T0) and post-partum (T1) and if they are predictors of suicidal ideation.

Methods

397 pregnant women completed the Portuguese version of POMS, PDSS and a set of items evaluating SRH, and sleep difficulties in the last trimester of pregnancy an three months of post-partum.

Findings

In pregnancy, suicidal ideation was significantly associated with lifetime SRH (p < .05), NA (p < .01) and difficulties of initiating sleep (DIS) (p < .01). In post-partum, suicidal ideation was also associated with DIS (p < .01), NA (p < .01), but not with SRH. In pregnancy, the predictors of the probability of having or not suicidal ideation are both SRH and DIS. In postpartum the suicidal ideation predictor was only DIS. However when NA was introduced in the regression model, NA was the only predictor of suicide ideation in both pregnacy and postpartum.

Conclusion

Difficulties of initiating sleep should be considered an indicator of suicidal ideation during the perinatal period. However NA might explain this association.