Factors Related to Postpartum Depression

Abstract

To determine which factors from a range of demographic, perinatal, psychosocial and hormonal factors were related to postpartum depression, a sample of 81 women between two weeks and six months postpartum was divided into a depressed group ( n = 22) and a non-depressed group ( n = 59) by means of the Beck Depression Inventory as the main measure and the Visual Analogue Scale as an additional measure. A demographical questionnaire, a social support questionnaire and a marital satisfaction questionnaire were completed by each subject. A depression incidence rate of 27,2% was found. Significant differences were found between the depressed group and the non-depressed group regarding social support, marital satisfaction and premenstrual tension. No significant differences were found regarding age, parity, previous depressive episodes, Caesarean births and prematurity. It was concluded that psychosocial and hormonal factors played a more important role in postpartum depression than demographic and perinatal factors.