Anger After Childbirth

An Overlooked Reaction to Postpartum Stressors

Bibliographic Data

ID12005085
AuthorsJennifer E Graham-Engeland (0000-0002-9940-2856, Stony Brook University, corresponding author), Jennifer E Graham (State University of New York at Stony Brook), Michael Lobel (0000-0002-7841-2422, State University of New York at Stony Brook), Robyn Stein DeLuca (State University of New York at Stony Brook)
Year2002
Volume26
Issue3
Pages222-233
Publication date2002-09-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePsychology of Women Quarterly (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0361-6843 • E-ISSN: 1471-6402
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1111/1471-6402.00061
OpenAlexW2122119788
LanguageEN
Citations received11
References cited54

Other than postpartum depression, little is known about women's emotional responses to childbirth and subsequent stressors. Anger was explored on the basis of theory and evidence that it is a likely emotional response in this context. During their third trimester of pregnancy and approximately six weeks after delivery, 163 participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory and the anger subset of the Affect Balance Scale. A number of childbirth-relevant variables were examined as predictors of postpartum emotional response, controlling for prepartum levels and for the association between anger and depressed mood. As expected, a substantial group of women reported high levels of anger irrespective of depressed mood. Although the majority of variables predicted depressed mood, childcare stress, age, and religious self-identification were independently predictive of postpartum anger (all p values > .05). Implications for research and clinical intervention are discussed

Affect (linguistics · Anger · Anxiety · Beck Depression Inventory · Childbirth · Context (archaeology · Dysfunctional family · Mood · Postpartum period · Pregnancy · Psychiatry · Stressor · Clinical Psychology · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Maternal and Perinatal Health Interventions · Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum · Psychology

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