1. Objectifs

Intentions :
« This paper proposes to explore the relationship between the employment status of new mothers and their depressive symptoms at six months post-partum, by shedding light on the links between employment statuts and the characteristics of new mothers and their environment that are known as risk factors for depressive disorders. » (p. 63)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
447 femmes

Instruments :
- Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) (Radloff, 1977)
- « A translated validated from of the Arizona Social Support Interview Schedule (ASSIS) (Barrera, 1981; Lepage, 1984) » (p. 67)
- « Perceived physical health was measured with a multiple-choice question used in the Santé Québec Survey (Bellerose, Lavallée, Chénard, & Levasseur, 1995) » (p. 68)
Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

« The aim of this paper is to explore the relationship between the employment status of new mothers & their depressive symptoms at 6 months postpartum. In order to have a better understanding of these links, we investigated the role that socioenvironmental characteristics of new mothers play in this relationship. Employment status is conceived to be closely linked to the characteristics of new mothers & their environment that constitute some of the well-known risk factors for postpartum depressive disorders. For that reason, the possibility that these characteristics could intervene in the relationship between employment status & depressive symptoms was considered. Three types of links were explored: independent, interactive, or indirect relationships. Analysis was performed on a sample of 447 women in one of the four following situations: working, being on maternity leave, being a homemaker, or actively seeking employment. Results appear to indicate the presence of an indirect relationship between employment status & depressive symptoms. Women on maternity leave &, to a lesser degree, working mothers, present characteristics that are associated with a good mental health. Homemakers & women seeking employment, however, seem to be placed in situations associated with depressive symptoms. These results underscore the possibility that employment status could lead to living conditions that have an impact on a new mother’s mental health. » (pp. 61-62)