Effects of a brief psychoanalytic intervention for perinatal depression.

This pilot study explores the effects of a brief individual psychoanalytic therapy on perinatal depressive symptoms. This intervention is based on the Geneva's mother-infant intervention model. A sample of 129 pregnant women was recruited in Geneva (Switzerland) and screened for depressive symptoms with two instruments: the 'Edinburgh postnatal depression scale' (EPDS) and the 'Dépistage anténatal de la dépression postnatale'.

[Why is it essential to diagnose and prevent postpartum depression?].

Until today postpartum depression (PPD) remains too often banalised or misknown by the population who is frequently badly informed. Actually it is an important public health problem because it concerns more than one new mother out of ten without this pathology being diagnosed nor treated. The consequences of this depression can be serious both for the mother and for the child with latter developmental difficulties.

Impact of postpartum depressive symptoms on mother and her 18-month-old infant.

Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is known to have important negative effects on mother, infant and mother-child relationship.

Methods: We present a case-control study of 35 mothers and their 18-month-old infants. These mothers suffered from postpartum depressive symptoms (PDS) when the infants were three months old, as rated with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS, Cox 1987).

Postpartum depression and mother-infant relationship at 3 months old.

Background: This paper is part of a prospective, epidemiologic study concerning postpartum depression (PPD). The women were first examined during pregnancy; after delivery they were seen with their infants at 3 and 18 months. The present study focuses on the 3-months-postpartum results.