The level of anxiety and depression in the early puerperium – preliminary report

Introduction: Childbirth is both joyful and stressful life event. This stressful life event results in different emotions occurring with different strength among new mothers, one of them is postpartum depression. However, postnatal depression received the predominance of research attention in recent years, several authors have pointed attention to the importance of distinguishing between postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety. Aim. The primary purpose of the presented research was to assess the level of anxiety and depression among women who were hospitalized after delivery. The second purpose was to determine if some additional factors influence the level of anxiety and depression. Material. The study was conducted on the sample of 46 women who had delivered infants in Gynecology – Obstetrics Clinical Hospital UM in Poznan, Poland in 2010. Method. Polish adaptations of standard questionnaires were used to measure variables such as anxiety (STAI), depression (BDI), styles of coping (CISS) and temperament (PTS). Additional data were collected using a questionnaire developed by the authors. Results. Statistical analysis assessed the level and frequency of anxiety (as a state and as a trait) and depression and associations between these factors as well as associations with additional variables (including: mode of delivery, styles of coping with stress and temperament). Conclusions. The score in BDI in mothers after delivery was associated positively with emotion – oriented style of coping and anxiety as a state and as a trait and negatively with strength of inhibition processes. Anxiety as a trait was positively related to c-section.