EPA-0214 - Clinical and Characterological Correlates in a Romanian Sample of Women with Postnatal Depression

Abstract

Objectives:

Postnatal depression is one specific psychiatric condition of vulnerable women being in postpartum period. We aimed to investigate the magnitude of postpartum depression in our region, together with its clinical and personality correlated features.

Material and methods:

A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 80 women being between 6 to 8 weeks after delivery that were monitored in Ambulatory of Bega Clinic Timisoara. Several psychopathological scales were administered to quantify postnatal depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale - EPDS) and anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory), along with anchored visual analogue scales pertaining subjective levels of worry toward the health status of mother and their infant. Dimensional aspects of personality were assessed by using the Karolinska Scale of Personality.

Results:

More than half of studied subjects have met the criteria for postnatal depression (cutoff score of 10 on EPDS) (N=43; 53,75%). Both, subjective and standardized levels of anxiety have correlated with the level of postnatal depression. Among the dimensions of personality significant correlated with postnatal depression we found the following: socialization (r = -0,523; p < 0,001); somatic anxiety (r = 0,578; p < 0,001); muscular tension (r = 0,463; p < 0,001); psychic anxiety (r = 0,303; p < 0,01); psychasthenia (r = 0,331; p < 0,01); suspicion (r = 0,236; p < 0,05); indirect aggression (r = 0,226; p < 0,05); irritability aggression (r = 0,242; p < 0,05).

Conclusions:

In our region, postnatal depression represents a clinical reality that raises a multitude of clinical and therapeutic challenges.