Exploring the Relationship between Socio-Demographic Factors and Postpartum Depression: A Prospective Observational Study in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract Background: There is a great variability in the rate of postpartum depression (PPD) which has been reflected in many well designed studies. This variability may reflect geographical location. It is important also to understand the risk factors to develop preventive intervention strategies. This study aims to examine the incidence of PPD and associated risk factors among postpartum women admitted at a tertiary care hospital in north Karnataka. Methods: This is a prospective observational study conducted at a tertiary care hospital. Total of 150 patients were included in the study. The study included all mothers in their postpartum period extending from day 1 till 6 weeks of post-partum period. Mothers with post-partum medical complications and who did not give consent were excluded from the study. A structured Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) 7.0.2 is used to collect the data from cases included in the study for the diagnosis of PPD. Results were compiled in MS excel software and analyzed by SPSS 22. Results: A total of 150 post-partum women were included and analyzed for postpartum depression. The PPD was found in 16 (10.6%) postpartum women. The presence of urban residence (p .020), multiparous women (p .012), birth of a female newborn (p .03) and having a previous female infant (p .005) were found to be significantly associated with development of postpartum depression. Conclusion: The presence of postpartum depression is common. The disorder should be screened regularly so that early treatment can be provided for those required. Thereby preventing the morbidity in mother and also the harmful effect in their infants.