Vismara Laura, Rollè Luca, Agostini Francesca, Sechi Cristina, Fenaroli Valentina, Molgora Sara, Neri Erica, Prino Laura E, Odorisio Flaminia, Trovato Annamaria, Polizzi Concetta, Brustia Piera, Lucarelli Loredana, Monti Fiorella, Saita Emanuela, Tambelli Renata
Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, University of Cagliari Cagliari, Italy.
Department of Psychology, University of Torino Torino, Italy.
Front Psychol. 2016 Jun 24;7:938. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00938. eCollection 2016.
Although there is an established link between parenting stress, postnatal depression, and anxiety, no study has yet investigated this link in first-time parental couples. The specific aims of this study were 1) to investigate whether there were any differences between first-time fathers' and mothers' postnatal parenting stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms and to see their evolution between three and 6 months after their child's birth; and 2) to explore how each parent's parenting stress and anxiety levels and the anxiety levels and depressive symptoms of their partners contributed to parental postnatal depression.
The sample included 362 parents (181 couples; mothers' M Age = 35.03, SD = 4.7; fathers' M Age = 37.9, SD = 5.6) of healthy babies. At three (T1) and 6 months (T2) postpartum, both parents filled out, in a counterbalanced order, the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.
The analyses showed that compared to fathers, mothers reported higher scores on postpartum anxiety, depression, and parenting stress. The scores for all measures for both mothers and fathers decreased from T1 to T2. However, a path analysis suggested that the persistence of both maternal and paternal postnatal depression was directly influenced by the parent's own levels of anxiety and parenting stress and by the presence of depression in his/her partner.
This study highlights the relevant impact and effects of both maternal and paternal stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms during the transition to parenthood. Therefore, to provide efficacious, targeted, early interventions, perinatal screening should be directed at both parents.
尽管养育压力、产后抑郁和焦虑之间已确立了联系，但尚无研究对初为父母的夫妻进行过此项关联调查。本研究的具体目标为：1）调查初为父亲和母亲的产后养育压力、焦虑及抑郁症状是否存在差异，并观察其在孩子出生后3至6个月间的变化；2）探究每位父母的养育压力和焦虑水平以及其伴侣的焦虑水平和抑郁症状如何导致父母产后抑郁。
样本包括362名健康婴儿的父母（181对夫妻；母亲平均年龄=35.03，标准差=4.7；父亲平均年龄=37.9，标准差=5.6）。在产后3个月（T1）和6个月（T2）时，父母双方以平衡顺序填写《养育压力指数简表》《爱丁堡产后抑郁量表》和《状态-特质焦虑问卷》。
分析表明，与父亲相比，母亲在产后焦虑、抑郁和养育压力方面得分更高。父母双方所有测量指标的得分从T1到T2均有所下降。然而，路径分析表明，母亲和父亲产后抑郁的持续存在直接受到自身焦虑和养育压力水平以及其伴侣抑郁情况的影响。
本研究突出了父母在向父母角色转变过程中压力、焦虑和抑郁症状的相关影响及作用。因此，为提供有效、有针对性的早期干预，围产期筛查应针对父母双方。
