Association between family members and risk of postpartum depression in Japan: Does “who they live with” matter? -The Japan environment and Children's study

Relationship between postpartum depression and lactation status at a Japanese perinatal center: A cross-sectional study

“…The mental status of mothers considered to have low levels of oxytocin associate with incomplete breastfeeding seemed to be stable. Therefore, in social environments and/or clinical characteristics of pregnant Japanese women, there may be some serious risk factors for postpartum depression other than the status of breastfeeding, such as personal and family factors, socioeconomic status, support from other family members and personal plans for furthering careers [4][5][6][7][8] . For example, in our recent Japanese study that asked mothers' biggest worry at two weeks after delivery, only 10% reported anxiety about breastfeeding 8 .…”

“…Postpartum depression has been recognized as the leading medical complication among new mothers 2,3 . To date, some risk factors for postpartum depression, such as personal and family factors, socioeconomic status, support from other family members and personal plans for furthering careers, have been examined [4][5][6][7][8] . Some studies have demonstrated that breastfeeding can protect mothers from postpartum depression and are starting to clarify which biological and psychological processes may explain this protection [9][10][11] .…”

Identifying the Risk Factors to Postpartum Depression

“…A quantitative, comparative study that was conducted in Japan by Honjo, Kimura, Baba, Ikehara, Kitano, Sato, and Iso (2018), investigated whether co-resident family members affect the probability of developing postpartum depression. Specifically, this research study explored the effects of partner involvement and household income in association with co-resident family members and its possible risks towards developing PPD.…”

“…Mothers who were living with their domestic partners, but were experiencing postpartum depression symptoms at the time of the study were most likely abused at home. A last major finding was that living with other children was a protective barrier from developing PPD regardless of household income (Honjo et al, 2018). Strengths of this article included: a large sample size, the ability to examine the association between co-resident family members and developing PPD, and receiving consent from the women to retrieve patient data on the pregnancy, delivery, and postnatal visits.…”

“…As the researchers came to the end of their study, it was stated that, "our study suggests that interventions to increase perceived partner's support for childcare may be effective in preventing PPD, regardless of a woman's living arrangements. It may also be suggested that public health practitioners identify possible high-risk populations using basic demographic information such as family structure and economic situation" (Honjo et al, 2018).…”