A B S T R A C T
Background: A substantial body of research has focused on maternal perinatal mood and wellbeing, with
the focus predominantly being on depression, and to a lesser extent, anxiety. Perinatal maternal stress
has also been investigated recently, but to a far lesser extent. The present paper questions whether the
term ‘perinatal distress’ accurately captures the range of challenges experienced by women during the
perinatal period, when the scope of ‘distress’ is limited to the experience of depression and anxiety alone.
Method: A review of the perinatal literature was conducted using several databases, to identify studies
that have focused on the experience of stress as a distinct affective state in the perinatal period.
Findings: The findings of two recent studies which have employed a broader conceptualisation of
perinatal distress to encompass the experience of stress as well as depression and anxiety are outlined.
These recent studies have identified the experience of stress both in conjunction with and independent
of depression and anxiety.
Conclusion: It is argued that future studies should investigate the concept of stress as a separate affective
state throughout the perinatal period, in order to further assess how it differs from depression and/or
anxiety. A more comprehensive understanding of women’s experiences during their transition to
motherhood, and whether ‘stress’ plays a critical role in the development and maintenance of perinatal
anxiety and/or depression is needed.