Postpartum depression and psycho-socio-demographic predictors

Fatemeh Abdollahi, Shariff Ghazali Sazlina, Azhar Md Zain, Mehran Zarghami, Mohammad Asghari Jafarabadi, Munn Sann Lye

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Introduction: There appears to be a growing international recognition of postpartum depression as a significant public health concern. This paper determined the prevalence and psycho-socio-demographic predictors of postpartum depression symptomatology and its constancy over 12-week postpartum in Mazandaran province Iranian women. Methods: Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and General Health Questionnaire were used to identify possible health and depression status in a cohort of 1,950 eligible pregnant women who attended primary health centers from January to June 2010, at 2 and 12 weeks postpartum. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the predictors of postpartum depression among women. Results: Prevalence of continued depression was found to be 9.9% on all three assessments. A mother's psychological distress, experience of depression, and anxiety in the first and second trimester of pregnancy and a family history of depression were the characteristics that had the strongest significant association with the development of postpartum depression. Women who married at a younger age also were more prone to postpartum depression development. Conclusions: One in ten depressed women in this study continued to be depressed over the 12-week postpartum period. Interventions should target women with the greatest risk, especially those with psychological distress during pregnancy.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)425-434
Number of pages10
JournalAsia-Pacific Psychiatry
Volume6
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2014
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Depression
  • Edinburgh postnatal depression scale
  • Postpartum prevalence
  • Risk factor

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