The influence of mother’s personality on the decision about the elective cesarean section: a pilot study with a sample of 16 new mothers

To investigate the psychological profile of a sample of new mothers, who requested an elective caesarean section (CS), compared with a group of women who had a CS in emergency. Women who chose CS without medical indications showed more somatic anxiety levels, expressed with a hypochondriac rumination and an obsessive way to control their body. This seems associated with more neuroticism and more symptoms of depression which may lead to a higher risk of develop postnatal depression

Perinatal depression and patterns of attachment: a critical risk factor?

Background. This study aims to verify if the presence and severity of perinatal depression are related to any particular pattern of attachment. Methods. The study started with a screening of a sample of 453 women in their third trimester of pregnancy, who were administered a survey data form, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Experience in Close Relationship (ECR). A clinical group of subjects with perinatal depression (PND, 89 subjects) was selected and compared with a control group (C), regarding psychopathological variables and attachment patterns. Results. The ECR showed a prevalence of “Fearful-Avoidant” attachment style in PND group (29.2% versus 1.1%, < 0.001); additionally, the EPDS average score increases with the increasing of ECR dimensions (Avoidance and Anxiety). Conclusion. The severity of depression increases proportionally to attachment disorganization; therefore, we consider attachment as both an important risk factor as well as a focus for early psychotherapeutic intervention

The relationship between personality traits and individual factors with perinatal depressive symptoms: a cross-sectional study

Background: Pregnancy is a crucial transition moment exposing women to potential mental health problems, especially depressive disturbances. Sociodemographic, pregnancy-related, and psychological factors have been related to depressive symptoms in the perinatal period. This study aims at (1) exploring personality and individual factors related with perinatal depressive symptoms, and (2) testing the mediating role of personality in the relation between characteristics of the woman's family of origin and depressive symptoms. Methods: Women in the perinatal period admitted to the gynecology unit for motherhood-related routine assessments (n = 241) were included in the study. A survey on individual sociodemographic, clinical, and pregnancy-related factors was administered, also including the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the BIG-5 personality test. Results: Couple conflict and neuroticism were independent and directly correlated with EPDS total score (respectively: B = 2.337; p = .017; B = 0.303; p &lt; .001). Neuroticism was a significant mediator of the relation between the presence of a psychiatric disorder diagnosis in participant's parents and the EPDS total score (indirect b = 0.969; BCCI95%=0.366-1.607). Conclusions: Couple relation and neuroticism traits are individual factors related to depressive symptoms in the perinatal period. The family of origin also plays an indirect role on perinatal depressive symptoms. Screening of these factors could lead to early recognition and more tailored treatments, ultimately leading to better outcome for the entire family

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Women's Perinatal Mental Health: Preliminary Data on the Risk of Perinatal Depression/Anxiety from a National Survey in Italy

Increasing evidence suggests that during the COVID-19 pandemic, anxiety and depression during the perinatal period increased. The aim of the study is to estimate the prevalence of risk for both maternal depression and anxiety among women attending 18 healthcare centres in Italy during the SARS-COV-2 pandemic and to investigate the psychosocial risks and protective factors associated. It was divided into a retrospective phase (2019, 2020, and the first nine months of 2021) and a prospective phase (which began in November 2021 and it is still ongoing), which screened 12,479 and 2349 women, respectively, for a total of 14,828 women in the perinatal period. To evaluate the risk of anxiety and depression, the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and an ad hoc form were used to collect sociodemographic variables. In the prospective study, the average age of the women is 31 (range 18-52) years. Results showed that the percentage of women who had EPDS score ≥9 increased from 11.6% in 2019 to 25.5% in the period ranging from November 2021 to April 2022. In logistic regression models, the variables associated with the risk of depression at a level ≤0.01 include having economic problems (OR 2.16) and not being able to rely on support from relatives or friends (OR 2.36). Having the professional status of the housewife is a lower risk (OR 0.52). Those associated with the risk of anxiety include being Italian (OR 2.97), having an education below secondary school level (OR 0.47), having some or many economic problems (OR 2.87), being unable to rely on support from relatives or friends (OR 2.48), and not having attended an antenatal course (OR 1.41). The data from this survey could be useful to determine the impact of the SARS-COV-2 pandemic on women and to establish a screening program with common and uniformly applied criteria which are consistent with national and international women's mental health programs

Comparison of major depression diagnostic classification probability using the SCID, CIDI, and MINI diagnostic interviews among women in pregnancy or postpartum: An individual participant data meta‐analysis

OBJECTIVES: A previous individual participant data meta-analysis (IPDMA) identified differences in major depression classification rates between different diagnostic interviews, controlling for depressive symptoms on the basis of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. We aimed to determine whether similar results would be seen in a different population, using studies that administered the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) in pregnancy or postpartum. METHODS: Data accrued for an EPDS diagnostic accuracy IPDMA were analysed. Binomial generalised linear mixed models were fit to compare depression classification odds for the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI), and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM (SCID), controlling for EPDS scores and participant characteristics. RESULTS: Among fully structured interviews, the MINI (15 studies, 2,532 participants, 342 major depression cases) classified depression more often than the CIDI (3 studies, 2,948 participants, 194 major depression cases; adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 3.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.21, 11.43]). Compared with the semistructured SCID (28 studies, 7,403 participants, 1,027 major depression cases), odds with the CIDI (interaction aOR = 0.88, 95% CI [0.85, 0.92]) and MINI (interaction aOR = 0.95, 95% CI [0.92, 0.99]) increased less as EPDS scores increased. CONCLUSION: Different interviews may not classify major depression equivalently

La rete familiare

Il volume pone l'accento sui processi partecipativi nei contesti locali e su come bisogna governare la partecipazione attraverso strumenti adeguati che permettano il coinvolgimento di tutti gli attori sociali presenti nel territorio interessato. Il libro propone un approfondimento su temi antropologici, psicologici, sociali ed economici nella consapevolezza della complessità dell'argomento e della necessità di pensare ai fenomeni da più punti di vista, adottando un atteggiamento epistemologico pluralista e pragmatico. Sono affrontate tematiche legate ai concetti di territorio, interazioni e reti, sicurezza sociale, salute mentale, cultura, pari opportunità, identità di genere, cooperazione internazionale, decrescita e beni relazionali svincolate da una logica strettamente economicistica e dalla cultura dell'assistenza, in un'ottica tesa verso l'innovazione e i saperi locali, e contro la desertificazione culturale di ogni territori

Scenari narcisistici e relazioni affettive.

Scenari narcisistici e relazioni affettive

La Depressione Perinatale Un approccio multidisciplinare

La Depressione perinatale colpisce il 10-20% delle madri, con conseguenze negative che si ripercuotono sulla salute della donna, del partner e della prole nel breve e nel lungo termine. Un approccio multidisciplinare al problema appare indispensabile al fine di un intervento integrato tra le varie professionalità che ruotano intorno al disagio del nucleo familiar

L'esperienza della maternità

Nel capitolo viene affrontata la maternità come esperienza di ridefinizione identitaria che impone un passaggio esistenziale cruciale: dall'essere figlia della propria madre a madre del proprio figlio. Conflitti non risolti con la figura primaria possono influire negativamente su tale esperienza con ripercussioni sulla relazione diadica