Validity of somatic symptoms as indicators of depression in pregnancy.

Somatic symptoms (e.g., fatigue, appetite changes, and sleep disruption) are common to both pregnancy and depression.

Perceived social support interacts with prenatal depression to predict birth outcomes.

Prenatal depression has been linked to adverse reproductive outcomes including preterm labor and delivery, and low birth weight. Social support also has been linked to birth outcomes, and may buffer infants from the adverse impact of maternal depression. In this prospective study, 235 pregnant women completed questionnaires about depression and social support.

Predictors of the longitudinal course of postpartum depression following interpersonal psychotherapy.

Objective: We examined the course and predictors of postpartum depression in the 18 months following interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT).

Method: We enrolled 120 community women with major depression in a 12-week randomized trial of individual IPT during the postpartum period (O'Hara, Stuart, Gorman, & Wenzel, 2000). At 6, 12, and 18 months posttreatment, women participated in clinical interviews to establish the course of depression over the previous 6 months.

Maternal depression: A review of relevant treatment approaches for mothers and infants.

The negative impact of postpartum depression on the mother-infant relationship and infant development more generally has been well documented. Compared to infants of nondepressed mothers, infants of depressed mothers have been shown to be less securely attached to their caregivers and often have cognitive, emotional, and behavioral deficits that persist well into childhood. Recent evidence has suggested that reduction of maternal depressive symptoms may itself not be sufficient to prevent negative effects on children.