ABSTRACT

Most first-time parents experience novel concerns about their sexuality such as worries about the effects of labor and delivery on their sex lives. The link between postpartum depressive symptoms and problems with sexual function is bidirectional; however, associations with postpartum sexual concerns (i.e., worries about one’s sexuality that are not necessarily related to sexual function) have not been examined. First-time parent couples (N = 99) completed measures assessing their postpartum sexual concerns and depressive symptoms at 3, 6, and 12 months postpartum. Dyadic latent growth curve modeling revealed that mothers’ and partners’ initial frequencies of postpartum sexual concerns were positively associated, with significant declines in the frequency of these concerns over time for both partners. Mothers’ and partners’ initial depressive symptoms were also positively associated; however, mothers’ depressive symptoms did not change over time whereas partner’s depressive symptoms worsened. Mothers’ and partners’ higher initial depressive symptoms were associated with partners’ higher frequency of postpartum sexual concerns. Mothers’ depressive symptoms at 3 months postpartum and the degree to which these symptoms changed over time were associated with a steeper decline in partners’ postpartum sexual concerns over time. Results provide preliminary support for depressive symptoms as a risk factor for partners’ postpartum sexual concerns.

摘要

大多数初次做父母的人都会对自己的性行为产生新的担忧，例如担心分娩对他们性生活的影响。产后抑郁症状与性功能问题之间的联系是双向的；然而，尚未研究与产后性问题（即对与性功能无关的性行为的担忧）的关联。初为父母的夫妇（N= 99) 在产后 3、6 和 12 个月完成了评估其产后性问题和抑郁症状的措施。二元潜在生长曲线模型显示，母亲和伴侣的产后性问题的初始频率呈正相关，随着时间的推移，双方的这些问题的频率显着下降。母亲和伴侣的初始抑郁症状也呈正相关；然而，母亲的抑郁症状并没有随着时间的推移而改变，而伴侣的抑郁症状却在恶化。母亲和伴侣较高的初始抑郁症状与伴侣较高的产后性担忧频率有关。母亲产后 3 个月的抑郁症状以及这些症状随时间变化的程度与伴侣产后性担忧随时间的急剧下降有关。结果为抑郁症状作为伴侣产后性问题的危险因素提供了初步支持。