Lapsivuodeajan psyykkisten vaikeuksien ennakointi : kognitiivinen malli

Abstract

The aim of this study was to predict mental distress during puerperium based on self-schema characteristics. The research problem was to establish whether Beck's vulnerability cognitive hypothesis could apply to the non-clinical, unselected population as a whole. The transition to parenthood was portrayed within the reference framework of information processing. The study participants comprised 65 primiparous women (median age 26.6 years) and 60 men (median age 29.3 years) in Helsinki. Of these, 57.68 were married, 36.8% were living in a non-marital committed relationship and 5.6% were singles. The participants completed the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS), the Self-Construct Scale (Grid), the parenting Self-Efficacy Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Mood Scale. The data were collected in a 1ongitudinat study during the pregnancy at four separate time points (2,5,7 and 9,5 months) and once more about at 2 months after the birth of the child. According to the results of the regression analysis, moderate psychiatric symptoms among the women during puerperium were best predicted by DAS (24%) and dissatisfaction with the couple's mutual well-being (11%); depression (BDI) was best predicted by DAS (9%). Moderate psychiatric symptoms among the men were best forecast by dissatisfaction with the couple's mutual well-being (12%) and DAS (8%); depression was best predicted by the rigid self-construct (11%). Low parenting self-efficacy was related to dysfunctionality of the self-schema among women and to rigidity of self-construct among the men. The results indicated that the models for normal and moderate psychiatric symptoms differ to some extend. The normal symptoms were slighter and were linked to stress caused by a lack of social support. Moderate psychiatric symptoms and depression were more profound and were related to the cognitive structures of the self.