Knowledge Among Nurses Regarding Post - Partum Depression in Selected Hospital Bangalore

Introduction: Untreated postpartum depression (PPD) can result in serious consequences on health of mother, baby and entire family. Despite its far - reaching consequences, PPD still goes unnoticed. Nurses can play an important role in its early detection and facilitating management of PPD. The aim of the study was to find out nurses? knowledge regarding postpartum depression. Descriptive study design was used to find out the knowledge regarding postpartum depression among nurses. Seventy - four nurses were selected from general and critical care units of a hospital by non - probability enumerative sampling technique for the study. Data was collected by pre tested self - administered semi - structured questionnaire. Results: Fifty percent of respondents knew postpartum depression (PPD) is a type of mood disorder associated with childbirth. Majority of respondents knew poor marital relationship (85%), unwanted and unplanned pregnancy (83.88%), previous mental illness (78.40%) and lack of family support (66.20%) are risk factors of PPD. Regarding symptoms of PPD respondents knew low energy (78.37%), extreme sadness (68.91%), changes in sleeping and eating pattern (67.56%) and crying (66.21%). Eighty percentages of the respondents knew PPD can be identified by observation and antidepressant drug (88%) and psychotherapy (83.78%) are medical management of PPD. Majority of respondents knew nursing management of PPD are maintaining close observation of mother (93.24%), maintaining safe environment (86.48%) and family counselling (83.78%). Eighty - one percentage respondents knew poor mother infant attachment is main consequence of PPD in child and poor relationship (54.05%), suicide (33.79%) and harm to baby (12%) in mother. Fifty - four percentages had low knowledge regarding PPD. Conclusion: It is concluded that knowledge regarding PPD is inadequate among nurses. It is recommended that hospital management should provide in - service education to nurses to uplift their professional knowledge regarding PPD.