Awareness and perception of postpartum depression among rural Indian mothers

Abstract Postpartum depression (PPD) is a major yet neglected public health concern that affects maternal and child health outcomes. Awareness of PPD is crucial for early detection and timely help-seeking; however, community-level awareness remains limited in India. This cross-sectional study assessed awareness of PPD and attitudes towards help-seeking behaviour related to PPD among postpartum mothers in rural Pune using a structured questionnaire. A total of 220 postpartum mothers between 6 weeks and 6 months post-delivery were recruited through consecutive sampling during immunisation sessions at Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in Haveli Taluka, Pune. Of the 220 participants, 57 (25.9%) had heard of PPD. Social media platforms (61.4%) were the primary source of information. Nearly half (50.9%) of the mothers who had heard of PPD perceived it as a “normal part of motherhood.” Inferential analysis indicated that awareness of PPD was significantly associated with maternal age and education level. The findings highlight low awareness of PPD and underscore the need to integrate maternal mental health literacy into routine community health education and antenatal counselling to improve early recognition and care-seeking.