ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to examine the psychosocial and obstetric factors associated with postpartum depressive symptoms in Korea. METHODS: At the 1-week postpartum visit, 61 postpartum women completed Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Stait-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Symptom Check List-90-Revised (SCL-90-R). Data related to psychiatric and obstetric characteristics, pregnancy and delivery related events were collected from standardized medical records. 42 women without a history of pregnancy or delivery within 6 months were selected as a control group. The postpartum group were divided into depressive and non-depressive group according to the EPDS and BDI results. RESULTS: Compared to the normal control group, mean scores of EPDS and BDI were significantly higher (por=10 and BDI >or=10) when compared to the postpartum non-depressive group. The psychosocial stress experienced during pregnancy was identified as a significant risk factor for postpartum depressive symptoms when multiple logistic regression analysis was performed after controlling for age and education level. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that postpartum women in Korea have many psychiatric problems such as depressive mood and somatization which necessitate proper care and assessment during the early postpartum period. Stress management during pregnancy is also needed as a method of prevention against postpartum depression.