Modeling longitudinal relationships between sleep disturbances and depressed mood in postpartum: A cross-lagged panel design.

This short communication explores the interrelationships between depressed mood and sleep disturbances in one-year postpartum period. Utilizing data from the Interaction of Gene and Environment of Depression during PostPartum Cohort (IGEDEPP) involving 3310 French postpartum women, we employed a cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) to analyze the relationships between these two symptoms, across three time points (immediate postpartum [<1 week after delivery], early postpartum [<2 months after delivery], and late postpartum [2 months to 1 years after delivery]). Depressed mood significantly influences sleep disturbances in late postpartum (β = 0.096, z-value = 7.4; p < 0.001) but not in early postpartum (p-value = 0.9). We found no cross-lagged influence of sleep disturbances on depressed mood in early (p = 0.066) or in late postpartum (p = 0.060). Moreover, depressed mood and sleep disturbances in immediate postpartum are predictive of similar symptoms in the two other postpartum periods (between each of the three periods, p = 0.006 and p < 0.001 for depressed mood, and p = 0.039 and p < 0.001 for sleep disturbances), thus demonstrating the stability of these symptoms over time. Although conducted with a prospectively assessed cohort, this study faces limitations due to potential methodological biases. This study is a pioneering analysis of mutual causal interactions between depressed mood and sleep disturbances in the postpartum period, highlighting the need for vigilant monitoring, early detection, prevention of worsen outcomes and intervention on these symptoms. • This study of 3,310 women shows early postpartum depressed mood significantly impacts late postpartum sleep disturbances. • Depressed mood and sleep disturbances at one time predict similar issues at future times. • No evidence was found that sleep disturbances affect depressed mood over time. • Results stress the need for ongoing monitoring and targeted treatment for early detection of mood and sleep issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]