Prevalence of and factors influencing postnatal depression in a rural community in South Africa

Background: Knowledge about postnatal depression (PND) and associated risk factors whichin fluence the development of PND is vital for early detection, intervention and prevention. Setting: The study was conducted in primary health care clinics (PHC) in the Witzenberg subdistrict, a rural community in South Africa. Objectives: Objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of PND and to identify the contributing risk factors associated with PND. Methods: A descriptive cross sectional research design with a quantitative approach was applied. The target population was mothers, 18 years and older. A convenience sampling method was used to select a sample of 159 (10%) from a population of 1605 live births. Th eEdinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), two validated self-rating questionnaires; including a questionnaire based on demographical, psychosocial and obstetrical data; were applied. The data was analysed using various statistical tests to determine statistical associations between variables using a 95% confidence interval. Results: PND was a serious health problem with 50.3% of the mothers who suffered from PND. A BDI analysis showed that of the participants who had PND; 28.8% was severe, 48.8% moderate and 22.5% mild. Factors influencing the development of PND included most participants (63.5%) were unmarried, 61.3% were unemployed and the majority (53.8%) had a history of a psychiatric illness. Significant associations between PND and unplanned and unwelcome babies (p 0.01); partner relationship (p 0.01), were identified. Conclusion: Prevention, early detection, appropriate referral and treatment of PND are critical in managing maternal, child and family well-being

Ethical Issues that Confront Nurses in Private Hospitals in the Western Cape Metropolitan Area

Background: Nurses are faced daily with a variety of ethical issues which could be as a result of budget cuts; target setting; the shortage of nurses and expertise. Objectives: The objectives of the study were to identify ethical issues related to patient care; to describe ethical issues related to patient diversity; rights and human dignity. To describe ethical issues related to caring in nursing and to the workplace environment.Method: A quantitative explorative descriptive research design was applied. A stratified sample of (n = 142/5) was drawn from all nurses and caregivers (N = 2990) working in a selected group of eight private hospitals. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect the data. Statistical tests were applied to determine statistical relationships between variables.Results: Results included (95) of respondents provided safe and committed care to their patients; (99) loved to care for their patients and (93) believed in the Nurses' Pledge of Service. Fifty percent (50) of the respondents indicated verbal abuse from patients and only (59) experienced openness and transparency in the work environment. Analysis further identified that the caregivers did not respect the noble tradition of the profession and experienced the most verbal abuse. Conclusion: This study has identified ethical issues which may give rise to conflict within the workplace environment if not adequately addressed by management. The study further showed that the use of caregivers not regulated in nursing practice may pose as a threat to the safety of the patient