Differential impairments in emotion face recognition in postpartum and nonpostpartum depressed women

Though potential differences in postpartum and nonpostpartum major depression have major implications for the etiology and treatment of both disorders, these differences have not been clearly delineated. Emotion theory presents a potentially important framework for understanding these differences.

The current study examined the performance of 65 postpartum depressed, 65 nonpostpartum depressed, and 65 healthy control women on two facial recognition tasks.

Postpartum and nonpostpartum participants performed worse on the recognition of emotions of happiness and fear when compared to controls on both tasks. Participants with postpartum depression showed a greater impairment on both disgust and anger when compared to participants with nonpostpartum depression; participants with nonpostpartum depression showed greater impairment on happiness when compared to postpartum depression.

Postpartum and nonpostpartum depression may impair facial expression recognition differently. Results are discussed in terms of limitations and clinical implications.