Depressão pós-parto e as implicações na relação mãe-bebê: uma perspectiva winnicottiana

Abstract

This study investigates how postpartum depression impacts the relationship between mother and baby from a Winnicottian perspective. The general objective is to investigate the relationship between postpartum depression and the mother-baby bond, while the specific objectives include understanding the construction of the mother-baby relationship in light of Winnicottian theory, characterizing the specificities of postpartum depression from a psychoanalytic and psychopathological perspective, and identifying the effects of this clinical condition on the mother-baby relationship. To this end, a theoretical-conceptual methodology was adopted, with a qualitative approach and exegetical foundation, through the bibliographic analysis of classic texts by Donald Winnicott, as well as other contemporary Winnicottian authors who discuss motherhood and postpartum depression. It was identified that the initial bond depends on the mother's ability to enter the phase of primary maternal concern and thus provide a welcoming environment that promotes the healthy maturation of the baby. It is concluded that the environment described by Winnicott is essential for the formation of the self and for the baby's maturation, so that the mother-baby relationship is fundamental for the subject's emotional and psychological development.However, postpartum depression can compromise maternal emotional availability, which impairs bonding and directly affects child development and the mother's well-being. In this sense, it is understood that postpartum depression compromises maternal function, which highlights the importance of care and emotional support for women during this period, through psychotherapeutic care and a support network.