Postpartum Depression and Birth Experience in Russia

Background. In European countries, postpartum depression (PPD) occurs in 13-19% of women. The statistics indicate that postpartum depressive disorders affect up to 300,000 women in Russia annually. There is still an extremely acute lack of psychological comfort provided to women during labor in Russia. Objective. To our knowledge, ours is the first study that examines the association between childbirth experience and the risk of PPD in Russia. Design. We collected data from 190 Russian-speaking mothers, ages 19 to 46, (M = 32 +/- 4.3) two months after their delivery. Results. Birth satisfaction and physical well-being two months after delivery were significantly inversely associated with PPD. Birth satisfaction negatively correlated with the perceived severity and unpredictability of labor, and positively correlated with physical well-being two months after delivery. The presence of a partner and a personal midwife or doula at birth was associated with higher birth satisfaction. Conclusion. Our results emphasize the significance of childbirth satisfaction in the context of PPD and suggest the importance of individual professional support during labor.Peer reviewe

The Impact of Psychological and Physiological Conditions of Motherhood on Postnatal Depression

Introduction. The paper (a) discusses psychological and physiological conditions of motherhood among women at risk of postnatal depression, (b) overviews studies on depression risk factors, and (c) presents the results of the original study. This research concentrates on mothers’ views of their own experience of motherhood and also their personality traits. The present study develops and validates diagnostic tools for identifying women at risk of depression. Methods. The study employed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Beck Depression Inventory, and the author’s questionnaire on motherhood conditions. Results. The study involved mothers (n = 151) of babies under one year old. The conducted study helped to reveal a group of women at risk of postnatal depression. Sleep-deprived mothers (sleeping less than 7 hours per day) not feeling a constant support from their husbands fell into this risk group. The risk group mothers underwent a difficult labor; they had unrealistic expectations of motherhood. Discussion. The following factors determine the risks of postnatal depression: (a) a woman’s expectations of motherhood, (b) her views of parenthood realities, (c) the context of marital relations, and (d) psychological conditions of parenthood. The research findings can be readily used in practice

Parental burnout, depression and emotional development of the preschoolers

IntroductionParental burnout is becoming more and more prevalent in the world, mainly incultures with high demands towards parents. Parental burnout is distinctive from depression and might have its unique influence on child development, which isunder current international research. This work contributes to the understanding of parental burnout, maternal depression and child emotional development(specifically emotion comprehension) interrelations. Additionally, we explored whether there are differences in the effects of parental burnout and depressionon boys and girls.MethodsTo analyse the emotional development of the preschoolers, the Russian version of the Test of Emotional Comprehension (TEC) was used. We used the Russian version of the Parental Burnout Inventory (PBI) to analyse the level of PB and the Russian version of Beck depression Inventory (BDI) to assess participants’ depression level.ResultsParental burnout positively correlates with child emotional comprehension skills, specifically understanding of external causes (B = 0.20, CI: 0.03; 0.37) and mental causes of emotions (B = 0.22, CI: 0.05; 0.40). This effect is gender dependent and is significantlyhigher for girls (B = 0.54, CI: 0.09; 0.98). The effect of maternal depression on emotion comprehension skills is also gender dependent: total scores on emotioncomprehension tasks are significantly higher for daughters of mothers with depression (B = 0.59, CI: 0.001; 1.18).DiscussionMaternal depression and parental burnout might provoke development of extra sensitivity and self-regulation strategies in girls

Childbirth experiences of women with a history of physical, sexual, and child abuse: a cross-sectional study of 2,575 Russian women

Abstract Background A substantial number of women who subsequently become pregnant and give birth have a history of physical, sexual, and/or child abuse. This study investigated the associations of these types of traumas and their cumulative effect with childbirth experiences, namely, mode of birth, maternal and child complications during pregnancy/childbirth, preterm birth, medical procedures, and obstetric violence during labour. Methods A group of Russian women (n = 2,575) who gave birth within the previous 12 months, completed a web-based survey, where they provided demographic information, details about their childbirth experiences, and a history of trauma. Results Women with any type of past abuse were at higher risk for maternal complications during pregnancy/childbirth (exp(β) < 0.73, p < 0.010 for all). More specific to the type of trauma were associations of physical abuse with caesarean birth, child abuse with complications during pregnancy/childbirth for the baby, and physical and child abuse with obstetric violence (exp(β) < 0.54, p < 0.022 for all). There was a cumulative effect of trauma for all the outcomes except for medical procedures during childbirth and preterm birth. Conclusion This study provides insights into potential different individual effects of physical, sexual, and/or child abuse as well as their cumulative impact on the childbirth experiences. The robust findings about maternal complications during pregnancy/childbirth and obstetric violence highlight the importance of trauma-informed care, supportive policies, and interventions to create safe and empowering birthing environments that prioritise patient autonomy, dignity, and respectful communication

Internal maternal position of women who became pregnant using IVF

Nowadays in vitro fertilization procedure is widespread. Due to improvements in medical technology parenting has become possible for couples who were doomed to childlessness. Practical request for psychological support couples who have decided to take part in the IVF program has been raised. Shaping the internal position of the IVF parent takes place in special psychological conditions. The IVF procedure is preceded by a period of infertility, the procedure is often the last chance to have a baby alone. Participation in the IVF program involves regular contact with doctors, medical personnel access to the intimate sphere of life couples. The paper analyzes the attitude of women participating in the IVF pregnancy program, the unborn baby and parenting - the elements constituting the parent position. The study which was attended by 224 pregnant women, 62 participants of IVF program and 162 women with physiological pregnancy was carried out on the basis of Kulakov Scientific Centre for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology. When analyzing the data obtained we were able to identify features of the internal position of women who became pregnant using IVF. In comparison with a group of women with physiological pregnancy, the IVF program participants tend to romanticize the role of parent and child. IVF program participants demonstrate unwillingness to take on the role of parent. The main motivation of mothers in the IVF group concentrated on the very fact of pregnancy and childbirth, proper parenting, while care and support for children is not appealing to women who became pregnant using IVF. Important conditions for becoming a parent are the experience of motherhood and the time of pregnancy expectation

Birth Experience, Postpartum PTSD and Depression before and during the Pandemic of COVID-19 in Russia

The aim of the study is to investigate the changes in the maternal healthcare system during the pandemic and their associations with maternal mental health in Russia. A sample of Russian women who gave birth during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic (n = 1645) and matched controls, i.e., women who gave birth before the COVID-19 pandemic (n = 611), completed an anonymous Internet survey about recent childbirth. They were assessed for childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and postpartum depression (PPD). Clinically relevant symptoms of PPD and PTSD were high before the pandemic and showed no significant change during the pandemic (p = 0.48 and p = 0.64, respectively). We found a notable increase in the frequency of obstetric violence (p = 0.015) during the pandemic, which, in turn, has a strong correlation with birth-related PTSD and PPD. The problem of ethical communication with patients among maternal healthcare professionals is acute in Russia, and it has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Family and doula support during labor can be a potential protective factor against obstetric violence

Internal maternal position of women who became pregnant using IVF

Nowadays in vitro fertilization procedure is widespread. Due to improvements in medical technology parenting has become possible for couples who were doomed to childlessness. Practical request for psychological support couples who have decided to take part in the IVF program has been raised. Shaping the internal position of the IVF parent takes place in special psychological conditions. The IVF procedure is preceded by a period of infertility, the procedure is often the last chance to have a baby alone. Participation in the IVF program involves regular contact with doctors, medical personnel access to the intimate sphere of life couples. The paper analyzes the attitude of women participating in the IVF pregnancy program, the unborn baby and parenting - the elements constituting the parent position. The study which was attended by 224 pregnant women, 62 participants of IVF program and 162 women with physiological pregnancy was carried out on the basis of Kulakov Scientific Centre for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology. When analyzing the data obtained we were able to identify features of the internal position of women who became pregnant using IVF. In comparison with a group of women with physiological pregnancy, the IVF program participants tend to romanticize the role of parent and child. IVF program participants demonstrate unwillingness to take on the role of parent. The main motivation of mothers in the IVF group concentrated on the very fact of pregnancy and childbirth, proper parenting, while care and support for children is not appealing to women who became pregnant using IVF. Important conditions for becoming a parent are the experience of motherhood and the time of pregnancy expectation

Development of Executive Functions Through Play Activities: A Theoretical Overview

Introduction. Play is a symbolic space through which children cognize the world around them and master their mental processes. This study considers the potential of play activity for the development of various higher mental functions in preschool-age children. Theoretical Basis. This section describes working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility as components of executive functions and demonstrates how they are involved in play activity. Results. This section summarizes: a) correlation studies on the relationship between self-regulation and play; and b) formative experiments that used play activity for the development of executive functions. Correlation studies showed that free play with peers has a complex structure and includes various aspects (role-taking, play substitution of objects and actions, and interaction with peers), which are differently related to the development of executive functions in preschool children. Attention is also given to studies that establish the relationship between children’s imagination in a play situation and the development of executive functions. Formative experiments indicated that a certain level of the development of executive functions is important for the implementation of play activities. At the same time, play activity is a mechanism for the development of executive functions. Discussion. The authors concentrate on limitations of the analyzed studies. The major drawback they identified is that previous studies of play activity examined its certain components in isolation (object substitution, role-taking, and imaginary situation). This review calls for further research that would identify a number of parameters and undertake a long-term observation to describe play activity of every individual child. Play activity is not simply a context for children’s emotional involvement; it is also important for the symbolic situations of the play to be close to their interests. Thus, the authors establish the complexity of organizing the development of executive functions within formative experiments using play activity. The study emphasizes the great potential of this direction of research