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The structure of mood and anxiety disorder symptoms in the perinatal period

Michelle L Miller1, Michael W O'Hara2

  • 1University of Iowa, United States of America; Indiana University School of Medicine, United States of America.

Journal of Affective Disorders
|January 7, 2023
PubMed

Insights

This study identified three key symptom clusters—Distress, Fear, and Bipolar—for internalizing psychiatric conditions during the perinatal period. These findings offer insights into symptom similarity and guide future perinatal mental health research and treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Perinatal Mental Health
  • Clinical Psychology

Background:

  • The perinatal period presents unique vulnerabilities for psychiatric symptom development and exacerbation.
  • Research has historically prioritized perinatal depression over perinatal anxiety.
  • Understanding the structure of internalizing symptoms during this critical time is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the psychometric structure of internalizing symptoms (anxiety and mood disorders) in the perinatal period.
  • To identify latent factors underlying psychiatric symptoms during pregnancy and postpartum.
  • To assess the stability of this symptom structure across the perinatal timeline.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 246 community adults receiving prenatal care was recruited.
  • The Interview for Mood and Anxiety Symptoms (IMAS) was used for structured clinical interviews.
  • Interviews assessed current anxiety, mood, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms, as well as lifetime diagnoses during pregnancy and postpartum.

Main Results:

  • Confirmatory factor analyses revealed a three-factor structure: Distress, Fear, and Bipolar.
  • These factors encompassed depression, generalized anxiety, irritability, panic, social anxiety, agoraphobia, specific phobias, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
  • The identified three-factor model demonstrated adequate to good fit and stability in both pregnancy and postpartum periods.

Conclusions:

  • A three-factor model (Distress, Fear, Bipolar) best represents internalizing psychiatric symptoms during the perinatal period.
  • This structure is stable across pregnancy and postpartum, offering a consistent framework.
  • Findings have significant implications for guiding future perinatal mental health research and clinical treatment strategies.
Abstract

Keywords:
Anxiety symptomsConfirmatory factor analysisMood disordersPostpartumPregnancyStructure

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