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 language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 425-434 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Asia-Pacific Psychiatry |
Volume | 6 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Dec 2014 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Depression
- Edinburgh postnatal depression scale
- Postpartum prevalence
- Risk factor