Research on postpartum depression and experiential avoidance of parturient / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the relationship between postpartum depression and experiential avoidance of parturient and to provide empirical evidences for acceptance and commitment therapy in mental treatment of postpartum depression.Methods 309 pregnant women were assessed with self-made general information questionnaire,self-rating depression scale (SDS) and acceptance and action questionnaire-2nd edition (AAQ-Ⅱ) in predelivery periods and 3-7 days after childbirth respectively.Results AAQ-Ⅱ scores in the predelivery or postpartum depression group ((18.54±8.25),(19.07±7.82)) were higher than that in the normal group((15.47±7.03),(14.57±6.57)),and the difference was statistically significant(t=-3.15,-5.07,all P＜0.01).It was found that the predelivery or postpartum AAQ-Ⅱ scores were positively associated with the SDS scores of predelivery periods and postpartum periods respectively(r=0.34,0.34,0.24,0.42,all P＜0.01).Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were then conducted.In the first block,neonatal exceptional conditions and the predelivery SDS significantly explained variance in postpartum depression(β=0.09,0.62,all P＜0.01).In the second block,the predelivery AAQ-Ⅱ still had a significant effect on postpartum depression (β=0.13,P=0.006,△R2=0.01,P=0.006),despite control the age of parturient women,postpartum complication,neonatal exceptional conditions and the predelivery SDS.Conclusion A function to predict the occurrence of maternal postpartum depression is obtained from the experiential avoidance which is attributed to the risk of maternal postpartum depression.