[Prevalence of postpartum depression and factors affecting it in Tehran]

ABSTRACT

Despite the fact that pregnancy is delightful for most women but it causes apprehension. Post partum period is the most dangerous period for psychological diseases and post partum depression is considered as a severe psychological disroder. Depression after delivery occures in about 10% -15% of women. This situation adversely affects the mother, and retards the developmental, cognitive and emotional growth of children. Since non-recognition of post partum depression after delivery may cause non-effective incompatibility of mothers with children and familty and a decrease in the knowledge and the absence of natural feelding following childbirth, and eventually leading to a change in the family set up, we decided to carry out a research to establish the prevalence of postpartum depression and the factors affecting it in Tehran. This research is descriptive - analytical study. 300 women referred to 16 health and treatment centers in Tehran affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University have been studied for 3 months. These women were between 2 weeks to 6 months after delivery and had referred to health and treatment centers for childcare service or family control. Edin Burgh questionnaire for assessing post partum depression and Enrich questionnaire for evaluating marriage satisfaction and Winfield and Tyggman questionnaire for social support assessement as well as two other questionnaire forms for Dempgraphy, Midwifery, neonatal state were utilized for this research. The results show that 23.7% of women were depressed and 76.3% were non-depressed. Statistical Test of variance analysis shows significant relation between post partum depression and husband's education level [P=0.047], marriage dissatisfaction [P = 0.000] and lack of social support [P = 0.000]. T Statistical Test shows significant relation between post partum depression and unwanted pregnancy [P = 0.021], congenital disorders of the newborn, disorders of newborns and post partum depression [p = 0.019] and nervous - mental disease and post partum depression [p = 0/000]. There was no statistically signticant difference between age, age at marriage, employment status of the women, educational status of the woman, type of delivery, of deliveries, gender of the newborn, economic and social status and postpartum depression