Parents, partners or personality? Risk factors for post-natal depression

The relevance of three different interpersonal risk factors to post-natal depression was examined. One hundred and forty-nine non-depressed women completed the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), the Intimate Bond Measure (IBM) and the Interpersonal Sensitivity Measure (IPSM) antenatally. Post-natal depression was identified using the Edinburgh Post-natal Depression Scale (EPDS) at 1, 3 and 6 months post partum. Significantly increased risks for post-natal depression were found for the women whose spouses provided low care or were overcontrolling and for women with high interpersonal sensitivity. Low maternal care and paternal overprotection were additional predictors when multiple regression analyses were used. Importantly, the different risk factors had their impact at different times post partum. The implication of these findings is discussed.