What makes new mothers unhappy: psychological distress one year after birth in Italy and France

The aim of this report is to present results on the factors associated with psychological distress in 724 Italian and 629 French women 12 months after birth. The prevalence of distress was ascertained by the 12-item Goldberg Health Questionnaire (GHQ), using a cut-off score of >5. Results show th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social science & medicine (1982) 1999-12, Vol.49 (12), p.1651-1661
Main Authors: Romito, Patrizia, Saurel-Cubizolles, Marie-Josèphe, Lelong, Nathalie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Age Distribution
Babies
Biological and medical sciences
Child health
Comparison
Confidence Intervals
Cross-national analysis
Depression
Depression, Postpartum - epidemiology
Depression, Postpartum - psychology
Employment - statistics & numerical data
Family Conflict
Family relations
Family Work Relationship
Female
France
France - epidemiology
Health Problems
Health Surveys
Humans
Infants
Italy
Italy - epidemiology
Logistic Models
Longitudinal Studies
Marriage - psychology
Medical sciences
Mental stress
Miscellaneous
Mood disorders
Motherhood
Mothers
Mothers - psychology
New
Odds Ratio
Postpartum depression
Prevalence
Prevention and actions
Psychological Distress
Psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Risk Factors
Social Factors
Social research
Socioeconomic Factors
Stress
Stress, Psychological
Surveys and Questionnaires
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Summary:The aim of this report is to present results on the factors associated with psychological distress in 724 Italian and 629 French women 12 months after birth. The prevalence of distress was ascertained by the 12-item Goldberg Health Questionnaire (GHQ), using a cut-off score of >5. Results show that, in both countries, after controlling for previous psychological health, the variables significantly associated with mothers' distress were: an unsatisfactory couple relationship; lack of a confidante; a baby with serious health problems, financial worries. In Italy, also being an older mother and a discrepancy between actual and desired employment status were associated with a high GHQ score. These results point out to the high prevalence of mothers' psychological distress in Latin countries too, and stress the role played by family and social factors.
ISSN:0277-9536
1873-5347
DOI:10.1016/S0277-9536(99)00238-5