Perinatal Depression, Birth Experience, Marital Satisfaction and Childcare Sharing: A Study in Russian Mothers.

Vera Yakupova,Liudmila Liutsko

doi:10.3390/ijerph18116086

Abstract

Background: Over 300,000 women in Russia face perinatal depressive disorders every year, according to the data for middle-income countries. This study is the first attempt to perform a two-phase study of perinatal depressive disorders in Russia. The paper examines risk factors for perinatal depressive symptoms, such as marital satisfaction, birth experience, and childcare sharing. Methods: At 15–40 gestational weeks (M = 30.7, SD = 6.6), 343 Russian-speaking women, with a mean age of 32 years (SD = 4.4), completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Couples Satisfaction Index, Birth Satisfaction Scale, and provided socio-demographic data. Two months after childbirth, 190 of them participated in the follow-up. Results: The follow-up indicated that 36.4% of participants suffered from prenatal depression and 34.3% of participants had postnatal depression. Significant predictors of prenatal depression were physical well-being during pregnancy (β = −0.25; p = 0.002) and marital satisfaction during pregnancy (β = −0.01; p = 0.018). Birth satisfaction (β = −0.08; p = 0.001), physical well-being at two months after delivery (β = −0.36; p < 0.01), and marital satisfaction during pregnancy (β = 0.01; p = 0.016) and after delivery (β = −0.02; p < 0.01) significantly predicted postnatal depression at 2 months after delivery. Conclusion: Our study identified that physical well-being during pregnancy and marital satisfaction during pregnancy significantly predicted prenatal depression. Birth satisfaction, physical well-being at 2 months after delivery, and marital satisfaction during pregnancy and after delivery significantly predicted postnatal depression. To our knowledge, this is the first study of perinatal depressive disorders in the context of marital satisfaction and birth satisfaction in the Russian sample. The problem of unequal childcare sharing is widely spread in Russia. Adjusting spousal expectations and making arrangements for childcare may become the focus of psychological work with the family. The availability of psychological support during pregnancy and labor may be important in the context of reducing perinatal depression risks.

Highlights

Perinatal depression is highly prevalent in low-income and middle-income countries, affecting approximately 25% of women during pregnancy, and about 19% of women after childbirth [1]
The main variables of the study were prenatal and postnatal depression (EPDS), marital satisfaction during pregnancy and after delivery (CSI), childcare share during pregnancy and after delivery, physical well-being during pregnancy and after delivery, and birth satisfaction (BSSR-RI)
Spearman’s correlation coefficient was used to measure the associations between pre- and postnatal depression, marital satisfaction, birth satisfaction, physical well-being during pregnancy and after delivery, and childcare sharing

Summary

Introduction

Perinatal depression is highly prevalent in low-income and middle-income countries, affecting approximately 25% of women during pregnancy, and about 19% of women after childbirth [1]. It translates to over 300,000 women in Russia facing perinatal depressive disorders each year. Women suffering from prenatal and postnatal depression are at risk for suicide [2], eating disorders, and body dissatisfaction [3]. They tend to have lower self-efficacy and poor self-esteem [4]. Prenatal depression is a risk factor for premature births, low birth weights, and negatively correlates with the length of breastfeeding [5,6].

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