Symptoms in post-partum and non-post-partum samples: Implications for postnatal depression

A 70-item symptom checklist was completed by 152 women at 20 weeks postpartum, and by 152 women who were neither pregnant nor mothers of a child less than 2 years of age. All subjects also completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS-Cox et al., 1987). Symptom checklist scores were compared in the post partum and non post-partum groups, having controlled statistically overall levels of depression (EPDS scores) and whether subjects had gainful occupations(as at the beginning of the index pregnancy in the case of post-partum subjects). Post partum subjects had significantly higher scores(p <0.005) than non post partum subjects on nine symptoms. Factor analysis uncovered two symptom components, Low self esteem and Tension. When subjects were partitioned into those with relatively high (> 14) and relatively low (< 15) EPDS scores, post-partum subjects with high scores had lower self esteem than non post partum subjects with high scores. Tension scores were higher in the post-partum group among subjects with both high and low EPDS scores. Implications for postnatal depression are discussed.