Stability and change in levels of depression and personality: a follow-up study of postpartum depressed mothers that were hospitalized in a mother-infant unit

This prospective longitudinal study investigated the role of the personality dimensions of dependency and self-criticism in the course of depressive symptoms in a sample of inpatient severely postpartum depressed mothers (n = 55). Depressive symptoms and personality were measured during hospitalizat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe journal of nervous and mental disease Vol. 198; no. 1; p. 45
Main Authors Vliegen, Nicole, Luyten, Patrick, Besser, Avi, Casalin, Sara, Kempke, Stefan, Tang, Eileen
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.01.2010
Subjects
Adult
Chronic Disease
Dependency (Psychology)
Depression - diagnosis
Depression - psychology
Depression, Postpartum - diagnosis
Depression, Postpartum - psychology
Depressive Disorder, Major - diagnosis
Depressive Disorder, Major - psychology
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Hospital Units
Hospitalization
Humans
Infant
Longitudinal Studies
Mother-Child Relations
Mothers - psychology
Personality Inventory
Postpartum Period
Risk Factors
Self Concept
Self-Assessment
Severity of Illness Index
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Summary:This prospective longitudinal study investigated the role of the personality dimensions of dependency and self-criticism in the course of depressive symptoms in a sample of inpatient severely postpartum depressed mothers (n = 55). Depressive symptoms and personality were measured during hospitalization and on average 3 1/2 years later. In line with previous research, a considerable subgroup of mothers (39%) reported moderate to severe symptoms of depression at time 2. In addition, although these mothers did not exhibit more depressive episodes during follow-up period compared with mothers with a less chronic course of depression, their depressive episodes were considerably longer, and they had higher levels of severity of depression as well as of dependency and self-criticism at Time 1. Finally, self-criticism, but not dependency, assessed at Time 1, predicted both depression diagnosis and levels of depression at follow-up, supporting a vulnerability model positing that self-criticism confers vulnerability for depression over time.
ISSN:1539-736X
DOI:10.1097/NMD.0b013e3181c8aa57