Perinatal mental health and Covid-19-related distress: the role of personality traits.

BACKGROUND: Perinatal mental health is a topic of growing interest, that could affect mothers in a period of high vulnerability, and the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic is an important factor to consider in this field. The aim of our study is to study the correlations between five dimensions of personality and subjective Covid-19-related distress in a sample of women in the perinatal period. METHODS: The study included 114 Italian women in the perinatal period. Subjects were asked to complete the Big Five Inventory (BIG-5) and a version of the Impact of Event Scale - Revised (IES-R) anchored to Covid-19-related distress. RESULTS: When the BIG-5 personality traits and several confounding variables were included in a regression model with IES-R total score as criterion, neuroticism subscale of BIG-5 inventory was the only variable independently associated with higher IES-R total score (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Our study highlights the importance of considering the personality vulnerability factors that can worsen psychopathological symptoms of women in the perinatal period, especially in periods of high psychological stress.

Barriers to access to mental healthcare among women in the perinatal period: a preliminary report.

This preliminary study investigates factors related to reduced access to mental healthcare among women in the perinatal period. We enrolled 145 pregnant women followed in OB-GYN services, using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale as a clinical measure for depression symptoms. We observed low levels of adherence to psychiatric screenings and referrals. Our findings confirm the importance of improving access to mental healthcare for women in the perinatal period.

Prevalence of anxiety and depression risk during the prepartum period in the different groups of women and responses from the Italian National Health Service.

BACKGROUND: Specific screening for anxiety and depression in pregnant women is important to identify those at risk and to provide timely intervention. The aims of the study were: 1) to compare the risk of anxiety and depression in four groups of pregnant women belonging to four types of healthcare centers distinguished by the level of risk: at low-risk; at high-risk for an obstetric reason; at high-risk for fetal anomalies; at high-risk for psychiatric conditions and 2) to identify the response that the National Health Service offers to women positively screened for anxiety and depression. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 2801 pregnant women, cared for by National Health Service, divided into four groups: 1) low-risk pregnancy (N.=1970); 2) high-risk pregnancy for an obstetric reason (N.=218); 3) high-risk for fetal anomalies (N.=505); and 4) high-risk for psychiatric conditions (N.=108). Participants were screened using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the General Anxiety Disorder, and sociodemographic, anamnestic, and clinic questionnaires. RESULTS: 28.9% of participants obtained an EPDS Score ≥9 and 17.1% a GAD-7 Score ≥8. The group at high-risk for fetal anomalies presented the highest prevalence of anxiety (29.3%) and depression (49.1%) while the group at low risk presented the lowest prevalence of anxiety (13%) and depression (24.6%). The groups at risk for obstetric reasons presented an intermediate prevalence. Psychiatric conditions constituted a higher risk for anxiety than depression. Counselling is recommended for about 70% of women at risk for anxiety and depression. Moreover, about 15% of women positive for screening were initiated into psychotherapy and about 1.5% into pharmacotherapy. 15% of women positive for screening were referred to other specialists. CONCLUSIONS: This study underlined the relevance of a prompt response by the National Health Service to mental health needs, especially in the risk conditions related to obstetric and/or fetal anomalies and psychopathology.

The relationship between personality traits and individual factors with perinatal depressive symptoms: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy is a crucial transition moment exposing women to potential mental health problems, especially depressive disturbances. Sociodemographic, pregnancy-related, and psychological factors have been related to depressive symptoms in the perinatal period. This study aims at (1) exploring personality and individual factors related with perinatal depressive symptoms, and (2) testing the mediating role of personality in the relation between characteristics of the woman's family of origin and depressive symptoms. METHODS: Women in the perinatal period admitted to the gynecology unit for motherhood-related routine assessments (n = 241) were included in the study. A survey on individual sociodemographic, clinical, and pregnancy-related factors was administered, also including the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the BIG-5 personality test. RESULTS: Couple conflict and neuroticism were independent and directly correlated with EPDS total score (respectively: B = 2.337; p = .017; B = 0.303; p < .001). Neuroticism was a significant mediator of the relation between the presence of a psychiatric disorder diagnosis in participant's parents and the EPDS total score (indirect b = 0.969; BCCI95%=0.366-1.607). CONCLUSIONS: Couple relation and neuroticism traits are individual factors related to depressive symptoms in the perinatal period. The family of origin also plays an indirect role on perinatal depressive symptoms. Screening of these factors could lead to early recognition and more tailored treatments, ultimately leading to better outcome for the entire family.

A Link between Parental Psychopathology and Preschool Depression: Take Care of Parents to Take Care of Children.

There is a lot of evidence in the literature showing that early-onset depression determines an emotional and cognitive vulnerability for psychiatric disorders in subsequent years. AIMS: The first aim of this outcome research was to analyze the impact of parental support treatment in a sample of depressed preschool children divided into two groups of comparison (under-reactive and over-reactive) through evolution in the Clinical Global Impression (CGI). The second aim was to analyze the correlation between the presence of parental psychopathology and the severity of children's disorders. METHODS: Our clinical sample consisted of 32 preschool-age children with a final diagnosis of MDD. The children's assessment included a psychiatric assessment to establish a diagnosis of MDD, confirmed by means of a semi-structured interview, which was administered again one month after the end of parental treatment. All the parents began a six-month parent training treatment conducted by experienced child psychiatrists, whereas children were not treated. During this period, the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI) was filled out monthly in order to observe the evolution of the children's disorders. RESULTS: Post-hoc tests showed a significant difference from before the treatment to after the treatment only in the over-reactive group (p = 0.00). Regarding parental psychiatric disorders, in the over-reactive group, only 3 children had no parents with psychopathology. In the under-reactive group, no child lacked a parent with psychopathology. CONCLUSION: Parent training treatment seems to be a valid intervention to improve preschool depression, especially in over-reactive groups, and to prevent dysfunctional parental styles connected to parental psychopathology.

States of Mind with Respect to Attachment: a comparative study between women who killed their children and mothers diagnosed with post-partum depression.

INTRODUCTION: Attachment theory has been linked with the caregiving system, acting as a drive for a mother's behavior towards her offspring. The most dramatic consequence of distress following maternity is filicide. Despite this, only few studies addressed the attachment models of women who committed filicide, and very little provided comparisons with mothers diagnosed with post-partum depression. OBJECTIVE: We described the socio-demographic and psychopathological characteristics of mothers who committed filicide. Our aim was to detect differences in the attachment models between mothers who committed filicide, mothers with post-partum depression and control mothers. Participants and setting: We recruited 19 women who committed filicide (group F) along with 52 women with post-partum depression (group D), and 23 control mothers (group C). METHODS: We administered a semi-structured interview on socio-demographic aspects and psychiatric history along with the Adult Attachment Interview. We performed an ANOVA, a post-hoc analysis and a logistic regression. RESULTS: The logistic regression showed a higher prevalence of Dismissing and Disorganized attachments in women of group F compared with group C (p = 0.002, p = 0.007). Dismissing attachment was also overrepresented in group D vs group C (p = 0.012). Interestingly, women of group F showed a Preoccupied/entangled attachment to a lesser extent than those of group D, reaching a borderline significance (p = 0.056). CONCLUSIONS: Disorganized and Dismissing models of attachment are prevalent in women who committed filicide compared with mothers with post-partum depression and controls, while other models of attachment are less frequent. Therefore, attachment could be taken into consideration to define the risk for committing filicide.

Clinical, Cognitive and Neurodevelopmental Profile in Tetrasomies and Pentasomies: A Systematic Review.

Background: Sex chromosome aneuploidies (SCAs) are a group of disorders characterised by an abnormal number of sex chromosomes. Collective prevalence rate of SCAs is estimated to be around 1 in 400-500 live births; sex chromosome trisomies (e.g., XXX, XXY, XYY) are most frequent, while tetra- and pentasomies (e.g., XXXX, XXXXX, XXXY, XXXXY) are rarer, and the most common is 48, XXYY syndrome. The presence of additional X and/or Y chromosomes is believed to cause neurodevelopmental differences, with increased risk for developmental delays, language-based learning disabilities, cognitive impairments, executive dysfunction, and behavioural and psychological disorders. Aim of the Study: Our review has the purpose of analysing the neurocognitive, linguistical and behavioural profile of patients affected by sex chromosomes supernumerary aneuploidies (tetrasomy and pentasomy) to better understand the specific areas of weakness, in order to provide specific rehabilitation therapy. Methods: The literature search was performed by two authors independently. We used MEDLINE, PubMed, and PsycINFO search engines to identify sources of interest, without year or language restrictions. At the end of an accurate selection, 16 articles fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results and Conclusions: International literature has described single aspects of the neuropsychological profile of 48, XXYY and 49, XXXXY patients. In 48, XXYY patients, various degrees of psychosocial/executive functioning issues have been reported and there is an increased frequency of behavioural problems in childhood. Developmental delay and behavioural problems are the most common presenting problems, even if anxiety, depression and oppositional defiant disorder are also reported. They also show generalized difficulties with socialization and communication. Cognitive abilities are lower in measures of verbal IQ than in measures of performance IQ. Visuospatial skills are a relative strength compared to verbal skills. In patients with 49, XXXXY, both intellectual and adaptive functioning skills fall into the disability range, with better non-verbal cognitive performance. Speech and language testing reveals more deficits in expressive language than receptive language and comprehension. Anxiety, thought problems, internalizing and externalizing problems, and deficits in social cognition and communication are reported. Behavioural symptoms lessen from school age to adolescence, with the exception of thought problems and anxiety. Individuals affected by sex chromosome aneuploidies show testosterone deficiency, microorchidism, lack of pubertal progression and infertility. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is usually recommended for these patients: different studies have found that testosterone-based HRT benefit a wide range of areas initiated in these disorders, affecting not only neuromotor, cognitive and behavioural profile but also structural anomalies of the brain (i.e., increase of volume of grey temporal lobe matter). In conclusion, further studies are needed to better understand the neuropsychological profile with a complete evaluation, including neurocognitive and psychosocial aspects and to establish the real impact of HRT on improving the cognitive and behavioural profile of these patients.

A Narrative Review about Prosocial and Antisocial Behavior in Childhood: The Relationship with Shame and Moral Development.

We conducted a literature review aimed at identifying the origins of shame as well as its effects on moral development, especially in terms of behavioral outcomes, and we reflected on the practical implications of our findings. We explored the role of shame in moral development through cultural differences and parental influences, collecting evidence of psychopathological consequences of primary moral emotion dysregulation. These studies showed a dichotomous feature of shame, as a prosocial behavior enhancer in morally relevant situations and, simultaneously, a risk factor for aggressive and antisocial behaviors on other occasions. Dysregulated shame leads to maladaptive interpersonal behaviors, which could evolve towards psychopathological paths. Therefore, an integrated intervention is recommended in children with emotional/behavioral problems.

Unraveling the Relationship between Sleep Problems, Emotional Behavior Disorders, and Stressful Life Events in Preschool Children.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to: (1) explore sleep problems in preschool children with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), selective mutism (SM), and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and (2) examine the relationship between stressful life events, sleep problems, and emotional behavior disorders in preschoolers. Methods: The parents of 213 preschool children with SM, GAD, ODD, and TD (typical development, age range 2-6 years) completed the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), the Coddington Life Events Scale, preschool version (CLES-P), and the CBCL 1½-5. Results: Eighty-three subjects reported sleep problems before the age of 2 years. Seventy-five children (86.14%) with a clinical diagnosis and eight children with TD (8.4%) exceeded the threshold level on the CSHQ. For the bedtime resistance (p = 0.042) and sleep duration subscales (p = 0.038), the SM group had significantly higher scores in comparison to the ODD group. The same pattern was also true for the sleep onset (p = 0.024) and sleep anxiety subscales (p = 0.019). The linear regression analysis model showed that the impact of stressful life events and internalizing problems could predict sleep habits in children. Conclusions: Emotional behavior disorders and stress factors should be regularly investigated in children who are referred to clinics for sleep problems. Clinicians should consider how these symptoms may exacerbate sleep problems and/or interfere with treatment.

Early Neuro-Psychomotor Therapy Intervention for Theory of Mind and Emotion Recognition in Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Pilot Study.

The aim of the present study is to explore the effect of early neuro-psychomotor therapy to improve theory of mind skills and emotion recognition in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. A pilot study was set up, consisting of in-group training activities based on the neuro-psychomotor approach. Children were evaluated using Neuropsychological Assessment for Child (Nepsy-II), Test of Emotion Comprehension (TEC), and Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ). For data analysis, one-sample Wilcoxon signed rank test was used with a significance of p < 0.05. Two children with a developmental language disorder and four children with autism spectrum disorders participated in a 3-month training program. Our findings revealed significant improvement in emotion recognition, as measured with Nepsy-II (p = 0.04), while no statistical improvement was found for theory of mind. Despite the limited sample, early neuro-psychomotor therapy improves emotion recognition skills in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. However, considering the explorative nature of the study, findings should be interpreted with caution.

Perinatal depression as a risk factor for child developmental disorders: a cross-sectional study.

AIMS: The first aim of this study, has been to observe the differences in developmental profiles of children of depressed mothers in comparison with children of undepressed mothers in a period from 3 to 12 months after childbirth through a cross-sectional study. The second aim of the study has been to describe the differences of romantic attachment style, mother-child bond and parenting stress of depressed mothers in comparison with a control sample. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The clinical sample examined consisted of 46 depressed mothers of the Perinatal Psychopathology of an hospital in Rome and their children aged between 3 and 12 months compared with a control sample of 28 mothers without PD and their children matched to cases by age. The children were evaluated by using Bayley Scales of Infant development III. Mothers assessment included Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Maternal Postpartum Attachment Scale, The Experience in Close Relationships-Revised and The short-form Parenting Stress Index. RESULTS: Depressed mothers showed a lower score at the assessment of mother-child bond and an increased parental stress in comparison with the control sample. Children of depressed mothers had lower scores in all Bayley Scales, with statistically significant differences between two groups for all scales. CONCLUSIONS: Results leads to the importance of including maternal mental health into primary health care to treat depressed mothers and prevent consequences for child development.

The mother-baby bond: a systematic review about perinatal depression and child developmental disorders.

BACKGROUND: Perinatal depression is a common mental disorder, which has become a significant public health concern, especially in the western developed countries where it has a prevalence of 10-20%. As a mental illness, it does not only concern the affected mother but also the child and family. AIM: The aim of this review is to examine any developmental disorders in children of depressed mothers. METHODS: Studies were identified from the following sources: PubMed (Database 2015-2021), Psycarticles (Database 2015-2021), and Psychinfo (Database 2015-2021). Of the 388 studies considered, 32 full-text articles have been analysed, and 22 have been included in the review. RESULTS: Results suggest an increased risk of child emotional dysregulation and socio-emotional problems. Several studies reported an increased risk of cognitive, motor and language delay. Moreover, some studies suggest behaviour problems in preschool-age for the children of depressed mothers. CONCLUSIONS: These evidences lead to the importance of including maternal mental health into primary health care and adequately addressing the dyad to treat depressed mothers and prevent consequences for child development.

Inflammatory markers of perinatal depression in women with and without history of trauma.

PURPOSE: Increased inflammation has been described as consistently associated with depression. Moreover, the pro-inflammatory pattern was found in women with a history of trauma irrespective of major depression diagnosis. In this study, we explored the possible association of inflammatory markers with perinatal depression (PND), measuring serum levels of cytokines (IL-6, TNF-a, IFN-γ), acute phase proteins (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), cortisol and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in women at the second trimester of pregnancy. Moreover, we tested whether the biological markers were correlated with the severity of PND, trauma history and resilience level. METHODS: Seventy-nine women including two groups of patients (women with PND at the second trimester of pregnancy with and without history of trauma) and two healthy control groups (inside and outside the peripartum) were enrolled. Blood sampling were collected for measuring putative biological markers. Clinical interview, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Inventory of Traumatic experiences (TEC), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) were administered. RESULTS: Women with PND and trauma reported a higher EPDS (p=0.004) and lower CD-RISC scores compared to other groups (F=34.77; p<0.001). The one-way ANOVA analysis showed lower ERS (F=2.87; p=0.040), CRP (F42=4.05; p=0.010) mean values among PND women without trauma and higher TNF-α mean values (F=6.07; p=0.001) among PND women with trauma history compared to other groups. CONCLUSIONS: History of trauma was associated with a more severe clinical phenotype of PND and decreased resilience level. The increase of acute phase proteins in women with PND and higher TNF-a level in those with trauma exposure validated the inflammatory theory of PND. Our findings substantiated the need of implementing the screening of pregnant women with the assessment of trauma history. Properly, resilience-enhancing interventions are recommended with the aim of support mothers and mitigate the possible transgenerational transmission of pathology. The biological results are compelling although preliminary.

Differences in MMPI-2 personality profiles among filicide and homicide women.

INTRODUCTION: Filicide is an act of terrible violence that generates dismay and astonishment and invites everybody to ask: why? AIM: As the transition to motherhood is a critical period for any woman, requiring the activation of deep personality resources, the aim of this study was to deepen our knowledge of the personality profiles of new mothers by comparing a sample of 16 women who had killed their own child ("filicide mothers") with women who had murdered someone outside of their family ("non-family homicide women"). METHOD: All of the women had a similar psychiatric diagnosis, as assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I). All were assessed by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory 2 (MMPI-2) 2 to 4 years after the court's judgment. A Kruskal-Wallis test and two-step cluster analysis were performed to determine whether a specific personality profile could distinguish filicide mothers from non-family homicide women. RESULTS: Years after the act, few filicide mothers showed symptoms of psychopathology; rather, they appeared functional and untroubled. In contrast, non-family homicide women showed a pathological mean profile. CONCLUSIONS: The results may indicate conscious attempts made by filicide mothers to avoid negative evaluations, minimize symptoms, and deny psychological suffering. These may indicate personality risk factors that could help clinicians recognize and intervene in cases where a woman presents a severe mental illness before, during, and following the birth of her child.

Personality structure and attachment models of women who kill their children. A systematic review on maternal filicide.

BACKGROUND: A mother's ability to attune with her child is crucial in structuring one's attachment style and personality. Both dimensions shape mother-child interactions, and they are therefore likely to impact on the risk of filicide. Numerous risk factors for filicide have been identified, but personality and attachment look relatively understudied. OBJECTIVE: We focused on filicide mothers' personality and states of mind regarding attachment to shed new light on this phenomenon, for the purpose of an improved and earlier identification of at-risk maternities. METHODS: A systematic review of five electronic databases was performed. All studies on filicide, infanticide or neonaticide were included in the search, regardless of the study design or the socio-demographic characteristics of the offenders. RESULTS: Twelve original articles were found to be eligible for the systematic review. The data were categorized in personality and attachment related, and then by study design. Only two studies performed comparisons with control groups, and only three reported data about psychodiagnostic/neuropsychiatric tests or questionnaires. Personality diagnoses were strongly heterogeneous (mostly pertaining to cluster B and C), and not supported by statistically significant evidence. Attachment was examined by only one study, which showed that the most frequent states of mind regarding attachment were unresolved/unclassifiable (U/CC). CONCLUSIONS: Despite their pivotal importance in determining relational patterns in an individual, both personality and attachment are almost unacknowledged across the literature about maternal filicide. It is thus advisable to further focus on them, carrying out structured and validated assessments, to better define the causes of this dramatic event.

Personality traits in a sample of Italian filicide mothers.

Several studies focused on mothers' psychopathological and environmental risk factors linked to filicide, to understand the genesis of this violent act. Considering the transition to motherhood a critical period for any woman, requiring the activation of deep personality resources, the aim of this study was to detect, in a sample of 16 filicide women hospitalized in Italian Forensic Psychiatric Hospitals, the recurrent characteristics with a specific focus on personality traits. Women were assessed using Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I), Big Five Inventory (BFI) and Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). The BFI and TCI profiles seem to overlap showing a personality profile characterized by a rigid control of aggressive impulses, the avoiding of unconscious fears and the masking of feelings of negativity. Examining the mother's mental state with respect to personality traits, could help clinicians to detect specific temperament patterns that may carry out impulsive violent behaviors, if correlated with other psychopathological and environmental factors.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Studies of Postpartum Depression: An Overview.

Postpartum depression is a frequent and disabling condition whose pathophysiology is still unclear. In recent years, the study of the neural correlates of mental disorders has been increasingly approached using magnetic resonance techniques. In this review we synthesize the results from studies on postpartum depression in the context of structural, functional, and spectroscopic magnetic resonance studies of major depression as a whole. Compared to the relative wealth of data available for major depression, magnetic resonance studies of postpartum depression are limited in number and design. A systematic literature search yielded only eleven studies conducted on about one hundred mothers with postpartum depression overall. Brain magnetic resonance findings in postpartum depression appear to replicate those obtained in major depression, with minor deviations that are not sufficient to delineate a distinct neurobiological profile for this condition, due to the small samples used and the lack of direct comparisons with subjects with major depression. However, it seems reasonable to expect that studies conducted in larger populations, and using a larger variety of brain magnetic resonance techniques than has been done so far, might allow for the identification of neuroimaging signatures for postpartum depression.

[Early attachement relationships and epigenetic customization]. / La regolazione epigenetica della relazione primaria.

Recently, new findings in epigenetic science switched the focus from the observation of physiological intragenomic dynamics to the idea of an environmental co-construction of phenotypic expression. In psichodynamic field, objectual relations and attachement theoreticians emphasized the interpersonal dimension of individual development, focusing the attention on the relational matrix of self organization. The construction of stable affective-behavioral traits throughout different parenting styles has actually found a coincidence in ethological studies, which have explored the epigenetic processes underlying the relationship between caregiving and HPA stress responsiveness. An adequate parenting style seems to support affective regulation throughout psychobiological hidden moderators, which would tend to rebalance the physiological systems homeostasis; an unconfident attachment style would promote, on the other hand, the allostatic load rise. Sites of longlife epigenetic susceptibility have also been identified in humans; although associated with risk of maladaptive developing in adverse environmental conditions, they seem to confer protection under favorable conditions. This persisting possibility of reorganization of stable traits throughout lifetime, which seems to be activated by a relevant environmental input, grant to significant relationships, and to therapeutical one as well, an implicit reconditioning potential which could result into the configuration of new stable affective-behavioral styles.

[Perinatal depression and affective bonds: experience in close relationship during pregnancy]. / Depressione perinatale e relazioni affettive: l'experience in close relationship in gravidanza.

AIM: This study aims to investigate the influence of the "romantic attachment" style, stressful life events, social factors on the risk of developing a depression during pregnancy and on the severity of depressive symptoms. METHODS: The study started with a screening on a sample of 453 women, during their third trimester of pregnancy, to which has been administered a survey data form, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Experience in Close Relationship (ECR). Based on the results at EPDS, a clinical group of pre-natal depression (D=89) was selected and compared with a control group (C=89), in regards to psychopathological and social variables, exposure to stressful life events and attachment patterns. Analysis of correlation were performed to evaluate the influence of these factors on depressive symptoms severity. RESULTS: In D group, 52.8% of subjects reported previous psychiatric disorders and 49.4% a familiarity; 29.2% of these women complains of conflicts with their family of origin and 32.6% with partner. The ECR showed a prevalence of "fearful-avoidant" attachment style in clinical group (29.2% vs 1.1%, p=0.000); besides, ECR dimensions ("Avoidance", "Anxiety"), correlate with the severity of depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Positive family history for psychiatric disorders and an insecure romantic attachment might influence the development and the severity of perinatal depression.

Perinatal Depression and Patterns of Attachment: A Critical Risk Factor?

Background. This study aims to verify if the presence and severity of perinatal depression are related to any particular pattern of attachment. Methods. The study started with a screening of a sample of 453 women in their third trimester of pregnancy, who were administered a survey data form, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Experience in Close Relationship (ECR). A clinical group of subjects with perinatal depression (PND, 89 subjects) was selected and compared with a control group (C), regarding psychopathological variables and attachment patterns. Results. The ECR showed a prevalence of "Fearful-Avoidant" attachment style in PND group (29.2% versus 1.1%, p < 0.001); additionally, the EPDS average score increases with the increasing of ECR dimensions (Avoidance and Anxiety). Conclusion. The severity of depression increases proportionally to attachment disorganization; therefore, we consider attachment as both an important risk factor as well as a focus for early psychotherapeutic intervention.