ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Minerva Psichiatrica 2015 December;56(4):137-50

Copyright © 2015 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Maternal depressive symptomatology, relationship adjustment, and maternal attachment state of mind during pregnancy and postpartum period

Zaccagnino M., Cussino M., Borgi S., Vianzone S., Carassa A.

Institute for Public Communication, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland

AIM: The present work reports preliminary data from a longitudinal research project that aims to investigate, in a Swiss non-clinical sample, the development, stability and change of mother-child interaction dynamics in the first two years of life of the child. The goal of the present study is to identify the presence of depressive symptoms during the perinatal period, to examine associations between maternal depression and perceived support, marital adjustment, and maternal state of mind with regards to attachment.
METHODS: The sample consisted of 90 pregnant women from Canton Ticino, Switzerland, who were all white European and expecting their baby with their current partner. The mean age of the participants was 32 years, all of them cohabited with their partner.
RESULTS: The recruited sample was satisfied with the level of perceived support, and experienced a good adjustment relationship with the partner. Few women were identified as depressed in the perinatal period. As regards attachment state of mind, the percentage of secure mothers is lower in comparison with other non-clinical samples, and the insecure attachments included mostly dismissing classifications.
CONCLUSION: Clinically, our results could increase the understanding of buffering and risk factors for mothers’ well-being, and so for mother-child relationships. Recognizing and taking charge of the early hardships of motherhood can significantly improve the quality of life of the mother, the child and, more generally, of the whole family.