Emotional Processing in Childbirth (EPIC) Study: Does poor emotional processing predict the development of postnatal depression

Authors: Wilkins, C., Bick, D. and Thomas, P.

Conference: British Psychological Society, Division of Clinical Psychology Annual Conference.

Dates: 2-4 December 2015

Abstract:

Objectives: The Emotional Processing Scale (EPS) was used to explore the hypothesis that pregnant women who had difficulty processing emotions were at increased risk of postnatal depression. Design: A longitudinal cohort study using self-report questionnaires to assess the emotional processing and wellbeing of pregnant and postpartum women Method: 974 women, aged 16 to 44, from Southern England were recruited from antenatal clinics and surveyed at 13 and 34 weeks gestation and 6 weeks postpartum. Standardised measures included the EPS, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Short-Form 36 and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Data were analysed using univariate and multivariate techniques to investigate inter-relationships between variables. Multiple and logistic regression models determined which variables measured during pregnancy best predicted postnatal depression.

Results: Significant associations were found between poor emotional processing and likelihood of developing postnatal depression. After adjusting for other established risk factors for depression, poor emotional processing in early and late pregnancy made a statistically significant contribution to the prediction of postnatal depression with the odds of women with high EPS scores at both time-points developing depression postpartum 2.5 and 3.4 times greater respectively than women with low EPS scores. Conclusion: The EPS, used for the first time in a large UK perinatal population, could provide a valuable tool to identify poor emotional processing among antenatal women, aiding the development of strategies to effectively support women more vulnerable to the detrimental impact of emotional and psychological disturbances, their infants and families.

Source: Manual

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