The relationship between attachment style, affect dysregulation and perinatal depression

Many authors considers maternal post-partum depression as a syndrome related to depression during pregnancy. This study aims to explore the relationship between attachment style, alexithymia (a specific difficulty to perceive and communicate to others emotional states characterized by affective dysregulation) and perinatal depression (prenatal and post-partum). Methods: Fifty-nine women with an age ranged from 16 years to 40 years (M28.05; SD5.85) at 5th8th months of pregnancy completed the following self-report questionnaires: Beck Depression Inventory*II (BDI-II: Beck, Steer, Brown, (1996); Toronto Alexithymia Scale*20 items (TAS-20: Bagby, Parker, Taylor, 1994; Bagby, Taylor, Parker,1994); Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ: Feeney, Noller, Hanrahan, 1994). At 24 weeks postpartum the following self-report questionnaires wereadministered: Beck Depression Inventory - II (BDI-II: Beck, Steer, Brown, (1996); Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS: Beck, Gable, 2000); Attachment Style Interview (ASI: Bifulco, et al., 2002). Results and conclusions: Analysis of data evidenced a significant correlation between alexithymia, insecure attachment and perinatal depression (prenatal and post-partum). In particular, this study suggests that an insecure attachment style and the presence during pregnancy of alexithymic traits accompanied by affective dysregulation and depression symptoms seem to be important risk factors of postpartum depression.