ABSTRACT
RATIONALE, AIMS, AND OBJECTIVES: Clinical and research evidence suggests that family functioning is an important variable in shaping psychological well-being, despite being often overlooked in the prevailing approaches to mental health. The aim of the present study is to examine the associations between psychological distress and family functioning in a sample of patients accessing a public mental health service. METHOD: CORE-OM and FACES IV questionnaires were administered to 112 patients, and all the correlations between the scales and subscales were calculated. Descriptive statistics concerning family typologies and satisfaction with family communication or relationships were also evaluated. RESULTS: The results showed significant associations between family functioning and psychological well-being. Positive aspects of family functioning, such as balanced cohesion and flexibility, were associated with lower distress, while negative aspects such as disengagement were associated with poorer mental health. According to the Circumplex model, most of the families were described as balanced in their functioning; however, the communication and family satisfaction scores revealed that many patients had concerns about their family relationships. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that family functioning is significantly associated with psychological distress, also in the absence of clear and conspicuous signs of structural imbalances within family relationships.
Subject(s)
Mental Health , Psychological Distress , Adaptation, Psychological , Family , Family Relations , Humans , Outpatients , Stress, Psychological/epidemiology , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
Psychological factors can influence breast-feeding. We translated into Italian and validated the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale Short Form (BSES-SF) and investigated its predictive ability and its relation with postpartum depression symptoms.BSES-SF and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) were administered 2 to 3 days after delivery to 122 mothers. Breast-feeding was assessed at 3 months.The BSES-SF displayed good validity (receiver operating characteristic area = 0.69) for predicting full breast-feeding at 3 months. In multivariate analysis, the probability of full breast-feeding increased 2.4% for 1-point increase of BSES-SF. The BSES-SF and EPDS scores were inversely correlated. BSES-SF is a useful tool to identify the risk of early breast-feeding attrition.
Subject(s)
Breast Feeding/psychology , Mothers/psychology , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales/standards , Self Efficacy , Surveys and Questionnaires/standards , Translations , Adolescent , Adult , Depression, Postpartum/diagnosis , Female , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Italy , Language , Postpartum Period/psychology , Predictive Value of Tests , ROC Curve , Reproducibility of Results , Young AdultABSTRACT
A group of 291 preschoolers consecutively enrolled at the Early Childhood Mental Health Service of IRCSS Stella Maris (Italy) were assessed using the Diagnostic Classification Zero to Three (DC:0-3; ZERO TO THREE, 1994). All active variables were extracted from its five axes, and a multiple correspondence analysis was performed. This analysis evidenced four multiaxial clinical profiles: (a) Multisystem developmental disorders (Axis I) were correlated with the underinvolved quality of relationship (Axis II), medical conditions (Axis III), and a low level of emotional functioning (Axis V); (b) regulatory disorders (Axis I) were correlated with maladaptive or angry/hostile relationship (Axis II), medical conditions (Axis III), and an immature level of emotional functioning (Axis V); (c) affective disorders (Axis I) were correlated with anxious/tense relationship (Axis II), stress factors (Axis IV), and emotional functioning vulnerable to stress (Axis V); and (d) adjustment, feeding, and sleeping disorders (Axis I) were correlated with mild relationship disorders (Axis II) and important impact of stress factors (Axis IV). These findings support DC:0-3 as a valid tool to detect multiaxial profiles that could be useful to plan comprehensive treatments of the disorders.
Subject(s)
Mental Disorders/classification , Mental Disorders/diagnosis , Child, Preschool , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Italy/epidemiology , Male , Mental Disorders/epidemiology , Prevalence , Referral and ConsultationABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is a widely used instrument for screening for postpartum depression, but it might also detect anxiety symptoms. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the factor structure of the EPDS administered immediately after delivery and to understand which factors predict a high EPDS score 3 months later. METHODS: A cohort of 594 Italian mothers delivering a healthy baby at Versilia Hospital completed the EPDS at two points in time: 2 days after delivery (T0) and 3 months later (T1) by telephone interview. RESULTS: EPDS scores were higher at T0 than at T1. Overall, 15.7% of women at 2 days postpartum and 7.6% at 3 months later reported a score >9. The factor analysis of EPDS at T0 indicated a three-factor structure: "depression" (items 7-10), "anxiety" (items 3-6) and "anhedonia" (items 1-2). Anxious symptoms were quantitatively more important than depressive ones (mean 3.9 vs. 1.2) but tended to spontaneously ameliorate at T1, whereas total EPDS score at T1 was better predicted by depressive symptoms at T0 (discriminative ability 0.75 vs. 0.68). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that EPDS subscales immediately after delivery help understand the spectrum of maternal postpartum psychological problems. Anxious symptoms immediately after delivery are frequent but transient, linked probably to maternity blues or atypical depression, whereas the presence of depressive symptomatology at T0 suggests higher risk of later depressive disorders.
Subject(s)
Anxiety/diagnosis , Anxiety/psychology , Depression, Postpartum/diagnosis , Depression, Postpartum/psychology , Postpartum Period/psychology , Puerperal Disorders/diagnosis , Puerperal Disorders/psychology , Adolescent , Adult , Cohort Studies , Diagnosis, Differential , Female , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Italy , Male , Mass Screening , Middle Aged , Pregnancy , Risk Factors , Self Report , Time Factors , Young AdultABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Postnatal depression may interfere with breast feeding. This study tested the ability of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) to predict later breast feeding problems, hypothesising that risk of unsuccessful breast feeding increased with increasing EPDS scores, even at low values. DESIGN: The authors administered the EPDS on days 2-3 after delivery to 592 mothers of a healthy baby. Feeding method was recorded at 12-14 weeks. RESULTS: Median EPDS score was 5 (IQR 2 -8); 15.7% of women scored >9. At 12-14 weeks, 50.7% of infants received full breast feeding, 21.0% mixed breast feeding and 28.4% bottle feeding. Mothers with higher EPDS scores were more likely to bottle feed at 3 months; the odds of bottle feeding increased with EPDS result, even at low scores (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.11). CONCLUSIONS: Higher EPDS scores immediately after delivery were associated with later breast feeding failure.
