摘要：
初为人母的女性可能患上产后抑郁症的危险，但产后抑郁症并不是分娩后女性紧张焦虑情绪的惟一表现形式。最近，由澳大利亚科学家完成的一项研究表明，这些其他紧张和焦虑症状可能无法通过常见的心理测试得到验证。
Most doctors are well aware of the risk of postpartum depression in new mothers. But an Australian study suggests that post-delivery stress and anxiety can occur apart from depression -- and might not be picked up on standard tests.

初为人母的女性可能患上产后抑郁症的危险，但产后抑郁症并不是分娩后女性紧张焦虑情绪的惟一表现形式。最近，由澳大利亚科学家完成的一项研究表明，这些其他紧张和焦虑症状可能无法通过常见的心理测试得到验证。

据美国"每日健康新闻"网站3月24日报道，本次研究所涉及的对象为在6周到6个月以内刚第一次当妈妈的325名女性。研究人员对她们抑郁、焦虑及紧张情绪的实际水平进行了测试，其所使用的工具是爱丁堡产后抑郁量表（EPDS）和抑郁、焦虑及紧张情绪量表（DASS，另外一种常用的心理测试工具）。测试结果显示，除了有61名女性被查出存在抑郁症状外，研究人员还在另外33名女性（10%）身上找到了不同于抑郁症的其他紧张和焦虑症状。这也就意味，如果她们仅仅接受EPDS测试的话，那么她们的相关症状是无法被准确发现的。

因此，如果只是把产后抑郁症当做分娩后女性身上负面情绪的惟一表现形式而加以格外重视的话，那么，那些存在其他焦虑和紧张情绪的新妈妈们可能会因此而得不到相应的治疗。

这项研究报告已经刊登在了《英国医学委员会精神病学》杂志的网络版上。

（国际在线独家资讯 张咏）

Most doctors are well aware of the risk of postpartum depression in new mothers. But an Australian study suggests that post-delivery stress and anxiety can occur apart from depression -- and might not be picked up on standard tests.

The study included 325 first-time mothers, six weeks to six months postnatal, who were assessed for depression, anxiety and stress using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS), a standard measurement.

Symptoms of depression were identified in 61 women. The researchers also found that 33 women (10 percent) had symptoms of stress and anxiety independent of depression. They noted that the women with stress and anxiety would not have been identified using the EPDS alone.

Putting an emphasis on depression as the only indicator for emotional distress in postnatal women means that new mothers with anxiety and stress may not receive treatment for those problems, the researchers said.

The researchers said it was important for doctors and other health workers to be on the lookout for signs of anxiety and stress in postnatal women, along with symptoms of depression.

The study appears in the online edition of BMC Psychiatry.

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