{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T01:25:59Z","timestamp":1760059559948,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,25]],"date-time":"2025-06-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1750809600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Medicina"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background and Objectives: Evidence regarding how dispositional traits, antenatal anxiety, substance use, and obstetric events converge to shape post-partum depression (PPD) in South-East Europe is limited. We analysed 102 third-trimester women and followed them to six weeks post-partum, and 102 age-matched community controls were used to (i) compare baseline psychological profiles, (ii) chart antenatal-to-post-partum symptom trajectories, and (iii) build an integrated model of clinically relevant PPD (Edinburgh Post-natal Depression Scale, EPDS \u2265 12). Materials and Methods: All 96 raw variables were forward\u2013backward translated from Romanian, reconciled, and harmonized. The principal instruments used were EPDS, State\u2013Trait Anxiety Inventory form Y (STAI-Y), Revised Obsessive\u2013Compulsive Inventory (OCI-R), NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI-60), and the four-item Maternal Worry and Satisfaction Scale (MWSS). Results: Groups were age-matched (31.1 \u00b1 5.4 vs. 30.3 \u00b1 5.1 years, p = 0.268) but differed in urban residence (39% vs. 17%, p = 0.001) and current substance use (smoking 21% vs. 34%, p = 0.041; alcohol 6% vs. 22%, p = 0.002). Of five personality domains, only openness scored lower in peripartum women (26.1 \u00b1 4.6 vs. 29.3 \u00b1 5.2, p &lt; 0.001). State anxiety rose significantly from pregnancy to puerperium (+5.1 \u00b1 8.4 points, p &lt; 0.001). Post-partum EPDS correlated most strongly with state anxiety (r = 0.62) and neuroticism (r = 0.50). A final model (pseudo-R2 = 0.30) identified post-partum state anxiety (OR 1.10 per point, 95% CI 1.05\u20131.15, p &lt; 0.001) as the independent predictor; neuroticism showed a trend (OR 1.08, p = 0.081). Obstetric factors (prematurity, birth weight, caesarean section) were not significant. Conclusions: In this Romanian cohort, heightened state anxiety\u2014in synergy with high neuroticism and lower openness\u2014dominated the risk landscape of early onset PPD, whereas delivery mode and neonatal status were neutral. Routine perinatal mental health screening should therefore incorporate anxiety metrics alongside depression scales and brief trait inventories to refine preventive targeting.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/medicina61071149","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,26]],"date-time":"2025-06-26T03:39:59Z","timestamp":1750909199000},"page":"1149","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Personality, Perinatal Anxiety, and Substance Use as Converging Determinants of Post-Partum Depression in South-East Europe"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"61","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-9396-0321","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Oana","family":"Neda-Stepan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctoral School, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"},{"name":"Department VIII\u2014Neurosciences, Discipline of Psychiatry, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8962-0000","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Catalina","family":"Giurgi-Oncu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department VIII\u2014Neurosciences, Discipline of Psychiatry, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-4384-154X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Adela","family":"Bosun","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctoral School, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-8790-6007","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Omar Anwar Saleh Al","family":"Nakhebi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctoral School, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Codrina Mihaela","family":"Levai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department IO\u2014Microscopic Morphology, Discipline of Medical Communications, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Raluka","family":"Albu-Kalinovic","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctoral School, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Brenda-Cristiana","family":"Bernad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctoral School, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Marius","family":"Gliga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctoral School, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Adriana","family":"Mihai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Discipline of Psychiatry, The George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology, 540139 Targu Mures, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Radu","family":"Neam\u021bu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Catalin","family":"Dumitru","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lavinia","family":"Stelea","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2242-5301","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Camelia","family":"Fizedean","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Nursing, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0136-1142","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Virgil Radu","family":"Enatescu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department VIII\u2014Neurosciences, Discipline of Psychiatry, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"640","DOI":"10.1038\/s41398-021-01692-1","article-title":"Correction: Mapping global prevalence of depression among postpartum women","volume":"11","author":"Wang","year":"2021","journal-title":"Transl. 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