ObjectivesDepression during pregnancy is more frequent than in the postpartumand has been indicated as a risk factor for the latter.This study aims to detect and evaluate depressive manifestationsacross the perinatal period by means of the DESI (DepressionEarly Symptoms Inventory, A. Amati 1996-2004) a novel instrument,which has been compared with the 21-item Hamilton DepressionRating Scale (HDRS) as well as with the 13-item BeckDepression Inventory (BDI).MethodsFifty nine consecutive women at their first pregnancy (mean age30 ± 5 years) were enrolled from the Outpatient Unit, Divisionof Obstetrics and Gynaecology, (Head prof. F. Zullo). They wereinterviewed and evaluated by means of the DESI, the HDRS,BDI. Additional evaluations have been carried-out by means ofthe EPDS and and Spielberger’s State-Trait Anxiety Inventory,Version Y1, State (STAI-Y1).Statistical analysis regarded item distribution, Spearman correlation,Cronbach’s alpha calculation, and factor analysis.ResultsData were distributed over each one of the three trimesters ofpregnancy (Table I): at the last trimester of pregnancy, DESI andBDI showed more sensitivity than other instruments to detectand quantify psychopathological variations. DESI items no. 6, 9,13, 14, 27 as well as BDI items no. 1, 5, 7, 10 obtained highestscorings (Tables III, IV). Total DESI score relevant to depressivemanifestations showed positive correlation with a history of riskfactors (Table II), while the age of the subjects positively correlatedwith STAI scores and negatively with EPDS scores, respectively(Table V). DESI internal consistency (Cronbach alpha)proved to be 0.89. Factor analysis extracted 10 factors, explaining76.237% of total variance (Table VI).ConclusionsIn this limited sample, subclinical depressive symptoms havebeen detected during the first pregnancy. They showed a trendto increase from the first to the third trimester. Statistical investigationconfirmed high internal coherence as well as reliabilityof the novel instrument, DESI. It proved to be more sensitivethan the reference instruments to detect subthreshold depressivemanifestations in women with risk factors as well as to quantifyseverity variations across the trimesters of pregnancy. Our dataneed to be confirmed in a larger sample.

Detecting early depressive manifestations in pregnancy by means of a novel instrument, DESI: preliminary results in comparison with HDRS and BDI

Amati A;Caglioti F;De Fazio P;Segura-Garcia C;Sirianni M;Iuliano A;Noia R;Zullo F
2011-01-01

Abstract

ObjectivesDepression during pregnancy is more frequent than in the postpartumand has been indicated as a risk factor for the latter.This study aims to detect and evaluate depressive manifestationsacross the perinatal period by means of the DESI (DepressionEarly Symptoms Inventory, A. Amati 1996-2004) a novel instrument,which has been compared with the 21-item Hamilton DepressionRating Scale (HDRS) as well as with the 13-item BeckDepression Inventory (BDI).MethodsFifty nine consecutive women at their first pregnancy (mean age30 ± 5 years) were enrolled from the Outpatient Unit, Divisionof Obstetrics and Gynaecology, (Head prof. F. Zullo). They wereinterviewed and evaluated by means of the DESI, the HDRS,BDI. Additional evaluations have been carried-out by means ofthe EPDS and and Spielberger’s State-Trait Anxiety Inventory,Version Y1, State (STAI-Y1).Statistical analysis regarded item distribution, Spearman correlation,Cronbach’s alpha calculation, and factor analysis.ResultsData were distributed over each one of the three trimesters ofpregnancy (Table I): at the last trimester of pregnancy, DESI andBDI showed more sensitivity than other instruments to detectand quantify psychopathological variations. DESI items no. 6, 9,13, 14, 27 as well as BDI items no. 1, 5, 7, 10 obtained highestscorings (Tables III, IV). Total DESI score relevant to depressivemanifestations showed positive correlation with a history of riskfactors (Table II), while the age of the subjects positively correlatedwith STAI scores and negatively with EPDS scores, respectively(Table V). DESI internal consistency (Cronbach alpha)proved to be 0.89. Factor analysis extracted 10 factors, explaining76.237% of total variance (Table VI).ConclusionsIn this limited sample, subclinical depressive symptoms havebeen detected during the first pregnancy. They showed a trendto increase from the first to the third trimester. Statistical investigationconfirmed high internal coherence as well as reliabilityof the novel instrument, DESI. It proved to be more sensitivethan the reference instruments to detect subthreshold depressivemanifestations in women with risk factors as well as to quantifyseverity variations across the trimesters of pregnancy. Our dataneed to be confirmed in a larger sample.
2011
post-partum depression; pregnancy; risk factor; sub-threshold depressive symptoms
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12317/6761
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