Differential effects of marital relationship and social support on three subscales identified within the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale

Abstract

Factor analysis of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) yielded three subscales (i.e. symptoms of, respectively, nonspecific depression, anhedonia, and anxiety). Each of these was regressed on three known risk factors for postpartum depression (change in quality of marital relationship, social support availability, and social support satisfaction). All three risk factors were significant independent predictors of nonspecific depression. Change in quality of marital relationship, but not social support availability or satisfaction, was a significant predictor of anhedonia; and none of the three predicted anxiety. These results support the view that the EPDS is not a unidimensional instrument, and that its separate components are differentially affected by various risk factors.

Acknowledgement

This study was supported by a grant from SMA Nutrition.

Notes

1. This apparently counterintuitive result remained positive and significant when the partner was excluded from the two social support additive scales (β = 0.11, t = 2.11, p = 0.036). We are grateful to an anonymous reviewer for this suggestion.