Postpartum depression and risk factors among females

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Rabiya Fatima and Manglesh Kumar Manglam (Department of Psychological Sciences, Central University of South Bihar, Gaya, Bihar)

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a major depression with a postpartum onset. Various reasons, such as lack of support from the husband or the family, type of family, sex of the baby, past experiences, and many more, can lead to the onset of postpartum depression in a female. The aim of the present study was to assess postpartum depression and its possible risk factors among females. The sample consisted of 100 postpartum females. The sample was selected by purposive sampling method from different nursing homes in Patna. Women with age ranging from 20 to 45 years were recruited as the sample of the study. After obtaining an informed consent, details of socio-demographic variables and risk factor related variables were gathered on interview with the postpartum females and postpartum depression was assessed using Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. The result revealed that 58% of the females were suffering from postpartum depression. Possible risk factors identified in the study were mode of delivery, breast feeding problems, sleep disturbances, appetite disturbances, and mood swings during pregnancy. Age during first pregnancy was significantly negatively correlated with postpartum depression score.