Postpartum affect and depressive symptoms in mothers and fathers.

In a study of the postpartum affective experiences of couples, mothers and fathers completed questionnaires on coping, marital satisfaction, stress, positive and negative affect, and depression one month pre- and then one month postpartum. More than one-fourth of both mothers and fathers reported elevated depressive symptoms, which correlated significantly between parents. Prepartum coping, stress, and affect significantly predicted postpartum affect. Research and clinical applications of the findings are discussed.

The relationship between childhood sexual abuse and subsequent onset of bulimia nervosa.

Seventy-two young adult women identified by the Bulimic Investigatory Test, Edinburgh (BITE) as having a high probability of suffering from bulimia nervosa were compared with 72 matched controls who did not display bulimic symptoms. Both groups were given measures of sexual abuse history, dissociation, and early family mealtime experiences. Rates of self-reported sexual abuse after the age of 12 with an adult relative as the perpetrator were significantly greater in the women diagnosed as bulimic. Nonsignificant but high rates of sexual abuse prior to age 12 were also found for this group. Dissociative experiences were also significantly more common in the bulimic group overall, and higher still for bulimic women who reported sexual abuse as children. Bulimic women had more negative and unusual mealtime experiences than nonbulimic women. Results suggest that sexual abuse may be related to the subsequent onset of bulimia nervosa for some women.

Correlates of bulimia nervosa: early family mealtime experiences.

The relationship of early mealtime experiences to later bulimia was investigated in a sample of 128 female college students. Significant group differences were found between bulimics, nonbulimics, and repeat dieters on an early meal experience questionnaire, with the bulimic group reporting the most negative and unusual experiences. Significant differences were also found between groups on depression but not on family adaptability or cohesion. These findings suggest that bulimic, repeat dieter, and nonbulimic females have differentiating histories regarding eating-related issues in the family context.

Parent preparation for the NICU-to-home transition: staff and parent perceptions.

Thirty-four nurses who were employed more than 20 hr per week in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at a midwestern teaching hospital participated in a survey on discharge teaching. The survey consisted of 43 topics on which parents may or may not receive instruction prior to their baby's discharge from the NICU. For each topic, nurses were asked how important the topic is for parents to learn about prior to discharge, whether parents in the NICU are currently receiving instruction on the topic, and who among the NICU staff is responsible for instruction on the topic. Data obtained from this survey were compared to data obtained from a similar survey conducted 18 months previously with parents in the same NICU. Nurses rated the majority of topics in the survey as being very important for parents to learn about prior to their baby's discharge. For many of the items, a significant discrepancy existed between the percentage of nurses reporting the topics that were routinely taught and the percentage of parents who actually recalled learning about the topics. Suggestions on ways to improve the effectiveness of discharge teaching are provided.

Sexual attitudes and behavior of bulimic women: A preliminary investigation.

One-hundred and seventeen college-aged women at varying risk for developing bulimia answered a number of questions addressing their attitudes toward and comfort with sexuality as well as their sexual and contraceptive history. Risk for developing bulimia was unrelated to sexual attitudes and weakly related to greater comfort with sexuality. High-risk women reported first engaging in intercourse at earlier ages and were also more likely to engage in risky contraceptive behavior than their lower risk counterparts. Despite their tendency to report a greater number of previous sexual partners, high-risk women currently engaged and expected to continue to engage in sex less frequently than lower risk women. Taken together with previous findings, results suggest that the relationship between risk for bulimia and certain patterns of sexual behavior reflects a general cycle of impulsive and controlling behavior exhibited by high-risk women. Limitations and implications of the present study are discussed.