Stress, psychosocial resources, and depressive symptomatology during pregnancy in low-income, inner-city women

The authors examined the prospective influence of stress, self-esteem, and social support on the postpartum depressive symptoms of 191 inner-city wome n (139 European Americans and 52 African Americans) over 3 waves of data co llection. Depressive symptomatology was measured by multiple indicators, in cluding self-report and clinical scales. Women became less depressed as the y move from prenatal to postpartum stages and adjusted to their pregnancy a nd its consequences. LISREL and regression analyses indicated that stress w as related to increased depression, whereas greater income and social suppo rt were related to decreased depression. Self-esteem was related to lower d epression at the prenatal and postpartum periods but not to change in depre ssion from the prenatal to the postpartum period. The results also indicate d that self-esteem and social support did not have additional stress-buffer ing effects over and above their direct effects on depression. Finally, Afr ican American women did not differ from European American women terms of de pression or in terms of how they were impacted by stress or psychosocial re sources.