| VALENCIA, Spain (UPI) -- Spanish researchers say they have developed a model to predict postnatal depression.
The study, published in Methods of Information in Medicine, says the predictive power of their model of mothers' risks for developing depression in the months following childbirth is 80 percent.
"Now it needs clinical evaluation, and for psychiatrists to start to test it directly on patients in order to study the true potential of these tools," lead author Salvador Tortajada of the Polytechnic University of Valencia in Spain said in a statement.
The researchers examined 1,397 Spanish women who gave birth from December 2003 to October 2004 in seven hospitals in Spain. They used a type of modeling they call artificial neuronal networks and extracted a series of risk factors highlighted in previous studies.
The risk factors included the extent of social support for the mother, prior psychiatric problems in the family, emotional changes during birth, neuroticism and polymorphisms in the serotonin transport gene.
They also discovered being older and working during pregnancy both decreased the risk.
Copyright 2009 by United Press International
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| Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar Dear Annie: I am attracted to a co-worker. I work as a bus girl at the restaurant where he's employed as a bartender. "Tyler" is 23, and I just turned 18. We talk and joke around, and he sometimes gives me a hug before the end of my shift.
The problem is, I recently wrote him expressing how I feel, but made sure it wouldn't be too forward. My friends convinced me to give him the note, but I was too much of a coward to do it in person, so I tossed it through the open window of his car as I was leaving. I feel horrible now about doing it that way. In the note I said if he decided he felt the same way about me, he should call or contact me on Facebook.
It's been almost a week and I haven't heard anything from Tyler. Even worse, two months ago, I requested to be his friend on Facebook and he ignored it. Now I feel like he hates me and never wants to speak to me again. I haven't seen him in person since the note business. My friends think he might prefer to talk about his feelings in person, but I don't think so.
He's a really nice guy. I just can't figure out what's going on. -- Crushed, Confused and Worried Girl
Dear Confused: It's possible Tyler never saw the note and doesn't check Facebook, but we think you pushed too hard and he's avoiding you. You may have misinterpreted his friendliness as more than he intended, not to mention many workplaces frown upon fraternization of co-workers. He now feels it's necessary to discourage your attention. So back off. Pretend your note never existed and you are not bothered by his lack of contact. If you see him, smile and say hello as if nothing has happened. In time, you might be able to get back to being friends. If he wants more, let him make the next move.
Dear Annie: I have been very close friends with "Meg" since we were in elementary school. We're now in high school, and there's just one problem: Meg is very curvy and well-endowed, and while she's sensible in all other matters, she dresses like a slut. My other girlfriends often gossip about her skin-tight, too-small clothes. She gets a lot of attention from older guys, which she probably likes, but she's too naive to handle it.
It's reached the point where I am embarrassed to be around her in public. I don't want to lose her friendship. How can I tell her how I feel without seeming prudish or jealous? -- Embarrassed in New York
Dear New York: Many teenage girls like to test their newfound "wow power" by dressing provocatively. They often don't realize they are also sending a message that they are sexually available. Under those circumstances, a girl often feels obligated to become sexually active or risk earning a reputation as a tease. Meg's parents should be handling this, but if they aren't, you would be doing Meg a favor by explaining it. Tell her how much you care about her, and promise she will still be attractive if she takes it down a notch. But we can't guarantee she will listen.
Dear Annie: I had to share this story after reading the letter from "Put Some Clothes On."
I was at a pub with a female friend who was wearing a very low-cut top. After a few drinks, she caught me glancing at her breasts and gave me a look that said, "I can't believe you did that!" So I decided to level the playing field.
I backed up my chair, undid my pants so she could see my briefs, then placed my hands behind my head, leaned back and said, "Let's continue our conversation."
She kept glancing down, and I finally had to point to my face and tell her, "My eyes are up here!" It was good for a laugh, and she said she will never again feel annoyed when men "notice" her. -- All Things Being Equal
Dear Equal: We can't believe YOU did that. But it certainly got your point across.
Annie's Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please e-mail your questions to anniesmailbox@comcast.net, or write to: Annie's Mailbox, P.O. Box 118190, Chicago, IL 60611. To find out more about Annie's Mailbox, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
Copyright 2009 Creators Syndicate Inc.
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