Prevalence of postpartum depression among mothers who delivered in a tertiary hospital / Philippine Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

ABSTRACT

GENERAL OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of postpartum depression among mothers who delivered in a tertiary hospital.METHODS: A total of 115 postpartum patients were included in the study. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) which was developed in 1987 for screening postpartum women was used in this study. It was translated in Filipino language and has been validated. A score of at least 10 points indicates possible postpartum depression. A score of at least 1 point in question it 10 indicates suicidal ideation.RESULTS: Out of 115 patients, 89 had an EPDS score below 10 points corresponding to 77.39% of the total population studied, while 26 participants had a score of at least 10 points corresponding to 22.61%. There were 9 respondents who scored at least 1 point in ques­tion #10 pertaining to 7.83% of the population.CONCLUSION: Postpartum depression is a universal dilemma. In this study, the prevalence of postpartum depression among mothers who delivered in a tertiary hospital in Dasmariñas, Cavite from April to May 2013 is 22.61%. Since postpartum depression is a common condition with serious consequences, screening must be done with a multidisciplinary approach from both the obstetricians and psychiatrists.