The Impact of Sociodemographic Factors on Postpartum Depression in Rural Mothers

Introduction: Post-partum depression (PPD) is a cross-cultural phenomenon observed in widely diverse cultures. PPD is defined as major depression, without psychotic features, that begins within 4 weeks after birth and may last up to 1 year. The global prevalence of postpartum depression among childbearing-age women ranged from 5.0% to 74.0%. This study aimed to determine the impact of sociodemographic factors on postpartum depression in rural mothers. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in Banchanagar village, Laxmipur Sadar Upazila, Laxmipur District, Bangladesh, from January 2014 to December 2014. This study included 219 rural mothers in their postnatal period (within 1 year) who had a history of one delivery within the study period. Result: In this study, the level of depression was higher (35.7%) in more than 25 years of age group of mothers. Depression was higher (28.6%) among the mothers who had two or more daughters. Among depressive mothers, 51.8% were not satisfied with the sex of their children as well as 76% of their husbands were not satisfied with the sex of their children. The level of depression of the mothers was higher (71.4%) among those who had a family history of depression and the association was found significant (p<0.05). Conclusion: Our findings showed that mothers' age, husbands' age, sex of the child, and the number of children were associated with symptoms of PPD. The higher prevalence of PPD associated with sociodemographic factors suggested the importance of a mental health support system for women in rural areas.