Background. Because there have been few studies examining resilience associated with postnatal (PN) depression, this study aimed at formulating and testing a theory-based model integrating both traditional resilience paradigms and non-traditional factors including existential beliefs about life, motherhood and religion. Method. Study hypotheses addressed prediction of PN depression, stress and resilience, and the confounding influence of negative affectivity (neuroticism). Study variables included PN depression (Edinburgh PN Depression Scale, EPDS), stress, neuroticism, self-esteem, mother's distress and ambivalence, purpose/meaning, religious belief, parity, age, marital and social status. They were assessed with standardized self-report instruments and, following a pilot, administered to a probability sample of women four months postpartum in a one-wave, community, postal survey. Because the overall response rate was so low (49%) only the Europeans were included in the study (N = 225; response-rate = 78%). Statistical hypothesis-testing included linear and logistical multivariate model-twilding techniques, and principal components analysis. Results. Sixteen percent scored in the major depression range (EPDS > 12), and 14% in the minor depression range. Depression was associated with stress, neuroticism, purpose/meaning, mother's distress and (marginally) religious belief, but not with self-esteem, mother's ambivalence, age, parity or social class. Although neuroticism was strongly associated with depression, and also overlapped with most psycho-social variables, nonetheless stress, purpose/meaning, and mother's distress maintained significant relationships with depression after neuroticism was statistically controlled. Stress was associated in part with the perception of losing one's freedom in the motherhood role (neuroticism controlled). When resilience was defined as high stress coupled with low depression, it was associated with low levels of neuroticism and mother's distress. When resilience was defined in terms of high levels of maternal satisfaction, it was associated with high purpose and low ambivalence. Principal components analyses revealed that (1) stress scores reflected two dimensions suggestive of distress and self-efficacy; and (2) depression, stress, neuroticism, self-esteem and purpose were markers for the same underlying component, whereas mother's distress and ambivalence were markers for another (unrelated) component. Conclusion. This study underlines the relevance of temperament, self-efficacy, self-transcendence, existential beliefs and motherhood-related cogniitions to the understanding of PN depression and stress. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.

Master of Science / Department of Psychology / Ronald G. Downey / Firmly rooted in positive psychology, this study attempted to look beyond discovering the direction or shape of the stress-performance relationship and sought to instead determine the role of personality in this relationship. Although we were unable to test for moderation effects due to multicollinearity issues, we did discover that positive personality characteristics were a significant predictor of performance—even after controlling for experience and self-perceived stress. Interestingly, this relationship occurred in an opposite direction than expected in that higher levels of positive personality characteristics were predictive of lower performance ratings.

Neuropsychological deficits may perpetuate the risk and chronicity of psychiatric disorder. Borderline Personality Disorder, characterized by significant suicide risk, intense affect and behavioural dysregulation, is frequently associated with the executive function (EF) deficits of decision making and inhibitory control. However, the role of inhibitory control on decision making remains poorly understood. This study examined the relationships among working memory, cognitive and motor inhibitory control, and IGT decision-making performance in 41 women with BPD and 41 healthy controls. Associations among EF and suicide risk were also explored. Experimental tasks included the Iowa Gambling Task, Digit Span, Stroop and Stop Tasks, and Raven’s Matrices. Only IGT decision-making deficits distinguished BPD subjects from healthy controls. Weaker yet normal range IQ and EFs in BPD women did not explain their disadvantageous IGT performance. Contrary to expectations, IGT deficits in BPD women did not predict any suicidal risk; however, intact interference control was as sensitive to suicidal risk as was depression. Normal interference control was associated with a reduction in suicide risk. While IGT decision making may be a marker for BPD, Stroop interference control is more sensitive to suicide risk and may represent a vulnerability for suicide that exists beyond psychiatric diagnosis.

Neuropsychological deficits may perpetuate the risk and chronicity of psychiatric disorder. Borderline Personality Disorder, characterized by significant suicide risk, intense affect and behavioural dysregulation, is frequently associated with the executive function (EF) deficits of decision making and inhibitory control. However, the role of inhibitory control on decision making remains poorly understood. This study examined the relationships among working memory, cognitive and motor inhibitory control, and IGT decision-making performance in 41 women with BPD and 41 healthy controls. Associations among EF and suicide risk were also explored. Experimental tasks included the Iowa Gambling Task, Digit Span, Stroop and Stop Tasks, and Raven’s Matrices. Only IGT decision-making deficits distinguished BPD subjects from healthy controls. Weaker yet normal range IQ and EFs in BPD women did not explain their disadvantageous IGT performance. Contrary to expectations, IGT deficits in BPD women did not predict any suicidal risk; however, intact interference control was as sensitive to suicidal risk as was depression. Normal interference control was associated with a reduction in suicide risk. While IGT decision making may be a marker for BPD, Stroop interference control is more sensitive to suicide risk and may represent a vulnerability for suicide that exists beyond psychiatric diagnosis.