| Sekundarni povzetek: |  
            Introduction: Perinatal  depression is  characterized  by  the  experience  of  mild  or  major 
depressive  episodes  during  pregnancy  or  within  the  first  year  following  childbirth.  It 
represents  a  significant  health  concern  during this  period,  with  high  rates  of  occurrence. 
According to recent research examining women during pregnancy and postpartum, perinatal 
depression is estimated to have a prevalence ranging from 10 % to 20 %. The most common 
treatments  for  perinatal  depression  include  antidepressants,  psychotherapies,  cognitive-behavioral therapies, interpersonal therapies, telephone counselling, and home counselling. 
In  addition  to  these  conventional  methods,  modern  treatment  approaches  also  involve 
physical activity. Physical activity is one of the ways through which we can influence the 
physical and psychological changes that occur during pregnancy and after childbirth, as it 
brings various benefits. Purpose: The objective of this diploma thesis was to examine the 
correlation between perinatal depression and physical exercise, as well as evaluate the effects 
of various types of physical exercises on the psychological wellbeing of pregnant women 
and  mothers.  The  analysis  was  based  on  a  comprehensive  review  of  scientific  and 
professional literature. Methods: The literature search was conducted using the PubMed and 
PEDro databases. In order to identify  relevant  articles, the  search query  consisted of the 
following combinations of keywords: »exercise AND postpartum depression« OR »exercise 
AND postnatal  depression« OR »exercise  AND  perinatal  depression«. Results: Six 
randomized  controlled  trials  met  the  inclusion  and  exclusion  criteria. In  two  studies, 
participants performed aerobic exercise and resistance exercise in water. In three studies, the 
participants performed exercise tailored for postpartum women in a home environment and 
in one study, a training program involving stretching and breathing exercises was performed 
in  a  home  setting. The  results  of  four  studies,  where  the  participants  performed  aerobic 
exercise, resistance training in water, and exercise tailored for postpartum women in a home 
environment,  were  homogeneous. They  demonstrated  a  positive  impact  of  exercise  on 
perinatal depression symptoms. Engaging in exercise contributed to a reduction in perinatal 
depression symptoms  and  anxiety,  increased  social  support,  as  well  as  improvement  in 
emotional and social interactions. In two studies, where the participants followed an exercise 
program that included stretching, breathing exercises, and exercises tailored for postpartum 
women  in  a  home  environment,  there  was  no  confirmed  positive  impact  of  exercise  on 
reducing  perinatal depression  symptoms. Despite  the  statistically  significant  differences 
observed between the intervention and comparison groups,  selected  studies also  revealed 
statistically  insignificant  differences,  indicating  the  need  for  further  exploration  of  the 
relationship between  exercise  and perinatal depression. Discussion and  conclusion: Our 
literature review revealed that there is currently limited research available on the relationship 
between exercise and perinatal depression, but the selected randomized controlled studies 
did  report  positive  effects. However,  in  order  to  gain  a  deeper  understanding  of  this 
connection,  future  research  should  focus  on  implementing  exercise  programs  within  a 
controlled  environment  and  under  the  supervision  of  skilled  professionals. Additionally, 
appropriate  control  groups  and  multiple  assessments  of  perinatal  depression  should  be 
included to enable comparisons across studies. It is essential to focus on specific forms of 
exercise and carefully design appropriate exercise programs to enable  result comparisons 
among studies. Nevertheless, given the many reported positive effects, exercise can be used 
as a valuable supplementary intervention for reducing perinatal depression symptoms in both 
pregnant women and mothers.
Keywords: perinatal depression, physical activity, exercise, perinatal period. |