Search

Aim: The impact of psychosocial and demographic factors on symptoms of postpartum depression remains unclear. This study aimed to explore whether particular maternal sociodemographic variables were associated with postpartum negative thoughts and negative appraisals., Methods: Data were collected from a community sample of 181 mothers with infants aged 0 to 7 months. Participants completed and returned anonymous questionnaires including the Postnatal Negative Thoughts Questionnaire (PNTQ) and a sociodemographic questionnaire. The PNTQ is a self-report scale to detect and measure postpartum negative cognitions. It consists of 2 factors: "baby- related and motherhood negative thoughts" (BRM-NT) and "appraisals of cognition, emotion and situation" (ACES)., Results: Analyses revealed that practical and emotional support and satisfaction with this support were related to low ACES scores, and mothers of infant boys were more likely to have high ACES scores (ie, more negative appraisals of their own thinking). Satisfaction with practical and emotional support was also related to low BRM-NT scores. Logistic regression analyses revealed that sex of infant predicted ACES scores, whereby having a boy predicted high ACES scores., Summary: In conclusion, this study found that postpartum negative thoughts and negative appraisals are correlated with the amount and satisfaction of support received, and having an infant boy was found to reliably predict a tendency to appraise thoughts negatively.

The period following the birth of a child brings many transitions into a woman's life, which can effect major psychological and social changes, including feelings of loss. If new mothers experience negative thoughts at this time, when societal expectations are of happiness, this may lead to feelings of unacceptability and guilt. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of negative thoughts after childbirth in nondepressed mothers. Following the identification of negative thoughts experienced by women who had suffered postnatal depression, a quantitative survey was conducted, which asked nondepressed mothers to indicate how often they experienced the negative thoughts or images identified by depressed mothers. One hundred and fifty-eight returned questionnaire packs were included in the analyses. The 158 nondepressed mothers acknowledged experiencing all but one of the 54 negative cognitions. Negative cognitions usually associated with postnatal depression are also experienced by mothers who are not considered depressed. This information provides evidence for reassuring new mothers that negative thoughts after childbirth are common. This, in turn, may help to reduce feelings of guilt associated with experiencing negative thoughts in the postpartum period.

This study describes the development and initial validation of a questionnaire that is suitable for detecting and measuring postpartum negative thoughts. Semistructured interviews with mothers who had suffered from postnatal depression were conducted to inform the content of the questionnaire. The initial questionnaire, alongside other measures, was then administered to a nonclinical sample of mothers with babies aged 0-7 months. Using principal components analysis, a two-factor structure was obtained for the Postnatal Negative Thoughts Questionnaire (PNTQ). The factors included appraisal of cognition, emotion, and situation (ACES) and baby-related and motherhood negative thoughts (BRM-NT). The psychometric properties demonstrated acceptable validity, satisfactory test-retest reliability, and internal consistency. These findings suggest that the PNTQ is a reliable and valid measure for assessing postpartum negative thoughts. Consistent with previous research, findings also suggest that appraisal of negative thoughts is more strongly related to postpartum depression than to the experience of negative thoughts per se. Clinicians may use the PNTQ to offer new mothers the opportunity to assess whether negative thoughts or metacognitive appraisals are being experienced as problematic. Additionally, a direct focus upon the metacognitive appraisals of postpartum negative thoughts may provide a useful adjunct to traditional cognitive therapy approaches. Recommendations for future research are discussed., (Copyright 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)