Prevalence of Postpartum Depression and Associated Risk Factors in Women Visiting Obstetric Clinics

Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a widespread mental health disorder that is commonly underdiagnosed and may have detrimental consequences on maternal functioning, infant development, and family relations. It is determined by a set of socio-demographic, obstetric, and psychosocial factors, especially in low-resource settings where systematic screening is restricted. Objective: This study aimed to establish the PPD prevalence and to identify socio-demographic, obstetric, and psychosocial determinants of PPD among postpartum women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between June and December 2025 at the Obstetric Outpatient Department of a tertiary care hospital. 200 postpartum women were selected through consecutive non-probability sampling. Social-demographic, obstetric, and psychosocial data were obtained using structured interviews. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was applied, and a score of ≥13 was indicative of PPD. SPSS v26.0 was used for statistical analysis, using chi-square tests and independent t-tests. p-value <0.05 was defined as significant. Results: PPD prevalence was 59 (29.5%). Major determinants were unintended pregnancy (41 (69.5%) vs. 50 (35.5%); p<0.001), caesarean section (37 (62.7%) vs. 64 (45.4%); p=0.030), depression history (19 (32.2%) vs. 9 (6.4%); p<0.001), low income (31 (52.5%) vs. 41 (29.1%); p=0.001), and poor spouse support (38 (64.4%) vs 32 (22.7%); p <0.001). The effect of employment status (p=0.10) and parity (p=0.86) was not significant. Conclusion: The results indicated a high PPD frequency among women in obstetric clinics, and both clinical and psychosocial factors contribute to it. Postpartum care should include routine screening and integrated mental health interventions to improve maternal outcomes.