Abstract / Summary
Postpartum depressive and anxiety symptoms are common postpartum mental health issues, and these symptoms often co-occur. However, previous studies have primarily analyzed them separately, with limited evidence regarding their joint developmental trajectories and associated characteristics. Identifying these joint trajectories and associated characteristics may enhance understanding of postpartum mental health patterns and provide a basis for future research. This longitudinal study included 474 postpartum women from three tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province, China. Participants completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale at 42 days, 3 months, and 6 months postpartum. Parallel-process latent class growth modeling (PP-LCGM) was used to identify joint developmental trajectories of postpartum depressive and anxiety symptoms. Multinomial logistic regression was then conducted to examine associated characteristics. Three joint trajectory groups were identified: (1) the low-level depressive and anxiety group (50.2%); (2) the high-level and decreasing depressive and anxiety group (8.7%); and (3) the moderate-level anxiety-increasing and depressive-decreasing group (41.1%). Multinomial logistic regression analysis, with the low-level depressive and anxiety group as the reference, showed that higher fatigue levels, poorer sleep quality, and a total monthly household income of ≤ 5000 (RMB ¥) were associated with increased odds of membership in both the high-level and decreasing depressive and anxiety group and the moderate-level anxiety-increasing and depressive-decreasing group, while multiparity was associated with lower odds of belonging to these groups. Unemployed status and formula feeding were associated only with the high-level and decreasing depressive and anxiety group. This study identified distinct joint developmental trajectories of postpartum depressive and anxiety symptoms and several associated characteristics. These findings suggest that depressive and anxiety symptoms should be considered jointly in future postpartum mental health research and care.