Dados do Trabalho

Título

Maternal depression at six month of baby’s life: fatigue and sleep disturbance

Introdução

The transition to motherhood, especially when it comes to the first child, is associated with important individual (physical and psychological) and social changes, which can be observed in different contexts. Emphasizing the psychological aspects, authors such as Winnicott have suggested that with motherhood the woman enters a special psychic condition that puts her in a state of great emotional availability for the baby, promoting a good enough environment and the healthy development of the child.

Objetivo

The present study investigated the presence of indicators of depression in mothers with babies at six months of age.

Métodos

The study included 24 mothers aged between 16 and 39 years, of different socioeconomic levels who lived with the baby's father and participated in the Family Health Program in the city of Santo Antônio de Jesus (Bahia - Brazil). The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and a Diagnostic Interview detected 13 mothers showing indicators of depression, reaching a moderate level of depression (group I), and 11 mothers not showing indicators of depression (group II). The Diagnostic Interview was used with all mothers, to complement the results obtained through the BDI. Content analysis was used to analyze the interviews. The mothers' responses were categorized based on three thematic axes of depression indicators according to the BDI, such as feelings of tiredness, perception of sleep disturbance, and feelings of concern about the body.

Resultados

The results found drew attention to the similarity between the groups in relation to the analyzed categories, with no difference between the mothers. Through the BDI, the mothers of both groups showed indicators of depression such as tiredness; sleep alteration; and concern for the body.

Conclusões

The results were discussed based on Winnicott's theory of motherhood and the value of depression in the sense of emotional development towards maturity and autonomy.
Physical disorders on the puerperal estage like sleep disturbance and others need more attention from researchers.

Palavras -chave

Depression. Maternity. Disorders.