Bipolarity among pregnant women at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital and relationship with depression score during pregnancy and postpartum periods

Abstract

Background: Previous studies demonstrated associations between bipolarity and perinatal depression.
However, there is still no study in this issue in Thailand.

Objectives: To examine the prevalence of bipolarity and associations with depressive symptoms during pregnancy
and postpartum periods.

Methods: We recruited 165 pregnant women who were in their third trimester (gestational age 28 weeks).
The self-rated questionnaires used include The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) - Thai version,
Mood Disorder Questionnaire scales (MDQ) - Thai version, The Personal Resource Questionnaire (PRQ)-
Part II and The Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS). Then we followed up EPDS score at 2 - 7 days after delivery.
Univariate and multivariate statistics were used to examine the associated factors of bipolarity.

Results: The prevalence of bipolarity was 3%. Unemployment, inadequacy of income, history of lifetime smoking,
and smoking during pregnancy, were found to be significantly associated with bipolarity (P < 0.05). Bipolarity
was also associated with lower PRQ score (assistance and guidance subscale) and lower marital satisfaction
score (dyadic cohesion subscale) (r = 0.507, P < 0.05). Moreover, bipolarity was also associated with higher
EPDS total score during pregnancy, and in the item of anxiety/ worry, sad/ miserable, crying, and suicidal thought,
lower PRQ score (social integration subscale), lower marital satisfaction score (dyadic satisfaction subscale),
higher marital satisfaction score (dyadic consensus subscale) when compared to those without bipolarity (P < 0.01).

Conclusions: The prevalence of bipolarity in this study is somewhat higher than in the general population.
Bipolarity was significantly associated with substance abused during pregnancy, poorer functions (work/ financial), higher severity of antenatal depression, especially in the symptoms of anxiety/ worry, sad/ miserable, crying, and suicidal thought. They also significantly have lower social support and lower marital satisfaction when compared to those without bipolarity.