Trait mindfulness facets as a protective factor for the development of postpartum depressive symptoms

L.P. Hulsbosch*, E. van de Poel, I. Nyklicek, M.G.B.M. Boekhorst

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)
132 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Background
Postpartum depression has a prevalence rate of up to 17%. As there are many negative consequences of postpartum depressive symptoms, it is important to examine possible protective factors, such as trait mindfulness. Since postpartum depressive symptoms are variable over time between and within individuals, this study focused on the possible association between facets of trait mindfulness and trajectories of postpartum depressive symptoms throughout the first postpartum year.

Methods
A subsample of 713 women that participated in the HAPPY study completed the Three Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-Short Form at 22 weeks of pregnancy and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at six weeks, four months, eight months, and twelve months postpartum. Possible different EPDS trajectories were obtained by means of growth mixture modeling.

Results
Two EPDS trajectories (classes) were found: a low stable symptom class (N = 647, 90.7%) and an increasing-decreasing symptom class (N = 66, 9.3%). Women in the low stable class showed higher ‘acting with awareness’ and ‘non-judging’ scores. A higher score on the ‘non-judging’ facet of trait mindfulness was associated with a higher likelihood of belonging to the low stable class (OR = 0.79, 95% CI [0.72, 0.87], p < 0.001), adjusted for confounders and the other mindfulness facets.

Conclusions
The non-judging facet of trait mindfulness was associated with low stable levels of depressive symptoms during the first postpartum year. Mindfulness-based programs, focusing on enhancing non-judging may be of benefit for pregnant women to possibly decrease the risk of developing postpartum depressive symptoms after childbirth
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)264-270
JournalJournal of Psychiatric Research
Volume157
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

Keywords

  • ANXIETY
  • First postpartum year
  • Growth mixture modeling
  • HEALTH
  • Non-judging
  • POSTNATAL DEPRESSION
  • PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES
  • Postpartum depressive symptoms
  • QUESTIONNAIRE
  • SCALE
  • Trait mindfulness
  • Trajectories
  • VALIDATION

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