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Predisposition to pregnancy depression: WHY ME?Predisposition to pregnancy depression is a factor of your genes, your personality, your circumstances and whether or not you have suffered from depression (in or outside of pregnancy) in the past. If you are reading this page you have likely had depression in the past or know someone who has had pregnancy depression and are wondering about your susceptibility. So let's look at those factors in depth.
1. Genetic predisposition 2. Personality 3. Life Circumstances 4. Previous depression GenesAs with most mental ill health, family prevalence plays a big part in personal predisposition. Genes for depression cluster within families. This doesn't mean that everyone who has a gene for it will get depression, because there are other factors at play. Predisposition, genetically speaking, means that if you have the gene you are more likely to get the illness than someone who does not have the gene, but you may go your whole life without ever becoming clinically depressed.If you have never been depressed before but a first degree relative (especially a female relative) has had depression, particularly depression in or after pregnancy, you might have a predisposition to develop depression in pregnancy for the first time. Personality factors
Here I need to introduce you to the word 'neurotic'. You may think this is a very old-fashioned word but it is used to describe a personality subtype in the fields of psychology and psychiatry. Most of us have different personal definitions for the term 'neurotic' but it is a very specific term. Very loosely it means that you have the tendency towards being highly strung and touchy! High baseline anxiety is the main feature of this personality type along with an overwhelming need to be approved of and liked and, therefore, a pressing need to please others. Sound like you? Read ON!
I am a 'neurotic' sort and, now that I know what I know about it, I am not surprised I get depressed. I am way too eager to please others and, even with some awareness of this, I find myself automatically living up to others' expectations. I have a terror of asserting myself and possibly offending someone and making them angry with me, even if it's someone that I don't particularly like! You can see how this might raise itself as a problem when you are pregnant, as pregnancy is a time when every person and their dog wants to give you an opinion on how things should be. Other features of people with neurotic personalities are these: having very high expectations of their partner to fulfil their needs; fear of being alone or of being left by a partner; putting themselves down a lot or diminishing their abilities; and having an aversion to change in circumstance, especially anything that is feels too out-of-control. You? Yeah, pretty much me too. When researchers give personality questionnaires to people and then assess their lifetime incidence of depression they find that neurotic people tend to be much more likely to have had a depressive episode before or to have one in the future. They are also more likely to have relatives who are depressives.
Life CircumstancesPredisposition to pregnancy depression is linked to adverse life circumstances such as financial worries, low level of education, being a single parent without the support of a partner, having more than two children already, being unemployed or a stay-at-home-mum, being a very young mum-to-be and, of course, the shock of an unplanned pregnancy.Any circumstance that leaves a woman feeling alone, socially isolated, overwhelmed, anxious and unable to cope makes her susceptible to depression during pregnancy. In my case I was isolated from my extended family and close friends as I had recently emigrated. I had to figure out a new and unfamiliar health system and, since my pregnancy was only semi-planned and my husband was a little shocked to say the least, I felt quite unsupported and unprepared. I began to feel like it was all a bit much. For suggestions on how to cope with adverse life circumstances, click here. Previous depression
There is no easy way to say this: if you have had depression in the past, especially if you have had depression related to pregnancy, you ARE more likely than average to suffer from pregnancy depression. This is especially true if you are on antidepressant medication at the time of falling pregnant and you stop the medication suddenly (as you might be advised to do by a well-meaning health professional, a nervous partner or a meddlesome friend).
If you are on antidepressant medication and considering stopping because you have fallen pregnant do read this page on antidepressant safety in pregnancy.
Just reading that your previous depression makes you have a high predisposition to develop pregnancy depression may make you feel depressed, but consider: If you are aware that a depression might come that's half the battle won! You are less likely to be taken by surprise and MORE likely to deal with it appropriately and effectively. Check out some ways to take precautions and guard against becoming depressed.
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