Domestic Violence and Depression among Post-Partum Women in Bangladesh

Background: Postpartum depression is a major concern because it has a detrimental impact on maternal health, child development, as well as families. Domestic violence is a significant risk factor for postpartum depression. Both PPD and domestic violence decrease women’s quality of life. The nurse’s role is pivotal in preventing and minimizing the occurrence of domestic violence, as well as PPD, to improve women’s quality of life. Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between domestic violence and depression among postpartum women in Bangladesh. Methods: A descriptive correlational study was carried out among 102 women in their postpartum period, selected by convenient sampling technique from two tertiary-level hospitals in Bangladesh. Data were collected by a Demographic Questionnaire (DQ-14) and standard structured questionnaires such as the Women’s Abuse Screening Tool (WAST-8) and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS-10), through face-to-face interviews and analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson’s Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient. Result: The result revealed that a quarter of the participants (27.4%) had symptoms of postpartum depression. However, more than 10% of the participants had severe levels of depression. Domestic violence was significantly associated with PPD (r=0.794**, p= .000). The Study found that postpartum women were suffering from domestic violence. Sociodemographic factors are also significantly related to PPD, such as educational level (F= 7.49, p= .001), monthly family income (r=-.221*, p= .03), frequency of antenatal checkup (F=9.33, p=.000), and place of delivery (F= 3.62, p= .03). Conclusion: Postpartum depression is a burning issue because it decreases women’s quality of life. Domestic violence is positively and significantly associated with the symptoms of postpartum depression. The findings of this study highlight how crucial it is for nurses to consider domestic violence in routine screenings during the perinatal period to identify women who may be at risk for PPD to empower women and improve women’s quality of life.