Page 34 - JCBP-2-4

Journal of Clinical and

Basic Psychosomatics

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Changes in core depressive symptoms over time

in peripartum women: A network analysis

2
Yuqun Zhang 1 , Ju Gao , Meixia Qin , Weiying Zhao , Yi Ding , and Xin Yue *
3
4
4
3
1 Department of Humanities and Nursing, School of Nursing, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine,
Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
2 Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, the Affiliated Guangji
Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
3 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jiangbei Campus, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast
University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
4 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, Nanjing University of
Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China

Abstract

Perinatal depression (PND) is a prevalent mental health condition that affects women
during pregnancy and after childbirth. Distinct clinical subtypes of PND exist, with
the timing of symptom onset being a pivotal element in the classification of these
subtypes. However, the specific manifestations of PND across the various stages of
pregnancy and the postpartum period remain to be elucidated. This study aimed to
explore the changes in depression symptoms with the stage of pregnancy. Women
in their second (n = 161) and third trimesters (n = 248) of pregnancy as well as those
in their first 6 weeks of the postpartum period (n = 110) were recruited. Each patient
was evaluated using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. A network analysis
*Corresponding author:
Xin Yue approach was used to explore the interconnections among depressive symptoms
(njeyfck@163.com) across the different time periods. Women in the postpartum period exhibited the
Citation: Zhang Y, Gao J, Qin M, most pronounced prevalence of PND and severity of depressive symptoms. In the
Zhao W, Ding Y, Yue X. Changes second and third trimesters, “sadness and misery” was the most central symptom.
in core depressive symptoms However, its prominence diminished after childbirth. “Fear and panic” was the
over time in peripartum women:
A network analysis. J Clin Basic predominant symptom in the postpartum network. The structural integrity of PND
Psychosom. 2024;2(4):4089. symptom networks was maintained across all three periods, with consistent strength
doi: 10.36922/jcbp.4089 and closeness. This study demonstrates the temporal evolution of PND’s central
Received: June 30, 2024 symptoms in women during and after pregnancy, transitioning from depression-
centric to anxiety-centric manifestations. These findings advocate for symptom-
Accepted: September 3, 2024
specific interventions to enhance the mental well-being of mothers and their offspring.
Published Online: October 17, 2024 Furthermore, this study offers clinical insights into the biological underpinnings of
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s). PND subtypes, facilitating precise diagnosis and targeted treatment strategies.
This is an Open-Access article
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution Keywords: Perinatal depression; Different periods; Central symptoms; Network analysis;
License, permitting distribution,
and reproduction in any medium, Subtype
provided the original work is
properly cited.
Publisher’s Note: AccScience
Publishing remains neutral with 1. Introduction
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional Perinatal depression (PND) is characterized by depressive episodes experienced by
affiliations. women during pregnancy (antenatal depression [AND]) as well as in the initial 12 months

Volume 2 Issue 4 (2024) 1 doi: 10.36922/jcbp.4089