Proportion of Post-partum Depression and Anxiety Symptoms among Women in a Tertiary Care Setting - A Cross-sectional Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30834/KJP.38.2.2025.536Keywords:
Post-partum, Depression, Anxiety, Woman's Mental Health, ScreeningAbstract
Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) and anxiety are mental health problems in females, and many factors predispose the occurrence of this illness. The study assessed the prevalence of postpartum depression and anxiety among postnatal mothers.
Materials and Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 women admitted to a tertiary care hospital in North India between March 2023 and April 2023. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 4 (Anxiety) were used to estimate the post-partum depression and anxiety, respectively.
Results: The mean age of the study subjects was 26.41 (SD = 5.292), and most of them belonged to rural backgrounds (64%). The prevalence of postpartum depression and anxiety was 30.5% (EPDS score of 10 and above) and 24% (PHQ score of 3 and above), respectively. Younger age (less than 35 years), rural background, low family income, complications during pregnancy, and low birth weight of the child were significantly associated with post-partum depression and anxiety in this setting (p <0.05).
Conclusion: The findings of the present study revealed that nearly 20%-30% of study subjects had postpartum psychological distress in this setting. Depression is often not diagnosed during postpartum, which emphasizes the need for similar screening practices in obstetrical and primary care.
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