Theses, studies and dissertations related to postpartum depression, postpartum psychosis, and depression during pregnancy. The content is regularly updated.

Research

Metsä-Simola, N. et al. 2024: Grandparental support and maternal depression: do grandparental characteristics matter more for separating mothers? The study examined the relationship between the use of antidepressants by mothers of young children and the support received from grandparents. The results of the study suggest that support from grandparents can protect mothers from depression. There were differences in the results according to which parent’s side the grandparents were from, the characteristics of the grandparents, the distance of recidences of the parents and the grandparents, and to whether the child’s parents were together or divorced. Read about the results of the study here (in English).

Pietikäinen, J. T. et al. 2021: Estimating the cumulative risk of postnatal depressive symptoms: the role of insomnia symptoms across pregnany. The study investigated the relationship between the cumulative effects of various insomnia symptoms and other risk factors in developing postpartum depression. The research publication can be read here (in English).

Pietikäinen, J. T. 2020: Sleeping problems during pregnancy, parental perinatal depressive symptoms and children’s emotional problems – Findings from the child-sleep and Finnbrain birth cohorts. Dissertation. The aims of the doctoral study were to investigate how risk factors, including prenatal sleep, associate with postnatal depressive symptoms (PDS), how the accumulation of such risk factors increases the risk of PDS, the longitudinal pattern of maternal and paternal depressive symptoms from pregnancy until two years postnatally, and how persistent depressive symptoms associate with children’s emotional problems at the ages of 2 and 5 years. The dissertation can be read here (in English).

Kuopio Birth Cohort research project. The project started in 2012 and is still ongoing. The project investigates the effects of gestational exposures and heredity on the health of both an unborn child and his/her mother in approximately 10,000 mother-child pairs. E.g. the relationship between gestational diabetes and post-pregnancy depressive symptoms is being investigated. The project is carried out by KYS’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, the University of Eastern Finland, and THL (the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare). Read more about the study here (information of the project is in Finnish, but most of the publications are in English).

Pro Gradu theses

Soininen, Sini 2017: Äidin raskauden aikaisen masennuksen vaikutus kokemukseen äitiydestä. (The effects of depression during pregnancy in the experiences of motherhood.) University of Eastern Finland. The study looks at the effects of depression during pregnancy as it relates to the experience of motherhood. The material consists of interviews with five mothers and two real-life writing assignments written by two mothers. The full Pro Gradu master’s thesis can be read here (in Finnish).

Theses

Ryynänen, Emmi 2015: Synnytyksen jälkeinen masennus ja sen tunnistaminen neuvolassa – haastattelu terveydenhoitajille. (Postpartum depression and its identification in a maternity clinic – an interview for nurses). Savonia University of Applied Sciences. The study describes postpartum depression and its identification in a maternity clinic, as well as nurses’ own perceptions of the adequacy of their professional skills in identifying postpartum depression. Read the full thesis here (in Finnish).