Executive functions and postnatal depression: literature review

According to statistics in European countries 10-15 % of women are prone to postpartum depression. It means that in Russia in 2017 about 200-250 thousand women were confronted with depression after delivery. Postpartum depression has a negative impact not only on mother's psychological well-being but also on the child development. Prevention and treatment of postpartum depression is a significant social problem. This work is devoted to a review of foreign studies on the relationship between the level executive function development and the risk of postpartum depression. Data is given on the relationship between the development of cognitive flexibility, inhibition, working memory, and the severity of depression symptoms in mothers. The article describes the research on postpartum depression prevention with the help of cognitive skills training. The prospect of reducing the risk of postpartum depression through training and development of executive functions is discussed.