Postpartum depression: Evidence from two clinical cases

The present study investigated the conjugality in two families in which the wife had postpartum depression, according to the Beck Depression Inventory and a diagnostic interview. The husbands did not have depression. A case-study design was used in order to analyze how conjugality was being experienced in this context. The interviews were individually conducted with both members of the couple. They were audiotaped and transcribed. The results revealed that the conjugality was being experienced with difficulties in both families, but in a particular way in each case, especially regarding the communication between the couple and the structure of the matrimonial relationship. The results corroborated with the literature, which associates the depression with difficulties in the conjugality, but they indicate that there are different aspects that may be affected in each family.