Mental health problems and influencing factors in Japanese women 4 months after delivery

Abstract

BackgroundPostpartum mental health problems are a major public health issue; however, studies on the mental health status of mothers and its influencing factors between 8 weeks and 1 year postpartum are scarce. Furthermore, it would be necessary to examine the factors influencing mothers’ mental health in order to evaluate their physiological adaptations to the nursing environment.MethodsWe examined the mental health status of postpartum women and the factors influencing poor mental health at 4 months after delivery. A cross-sectional study of 584 postpartum women was conducted. Information on mental health status, delivery, and other factors was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Women were asked about their age, height, weight, gestational or marital status, whether they were eating regular meals, appetite, frequency of going out, financial difficulty, stressful life events, and history of depression. The Japanese version of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was used to identify potential poor mental health status. Participants with GHQ-12 scores of ≥4 were classified as the high GHQ-12 score group (poor mental health status) and participants with GHQ-12 scores of ≤3 were classified as the low GHQ-12 score group (good mental health status).ResultsForty-five women (7.7%) were classified as having high GHQ-12 scores. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that older age, not eating meals regularly, and history of depression were significantly associated with poor mental health. Financial difficulty had a borderline association with poor mental health in this model.ConclusionsThese risk factors might help practitioners identify women at high risk of poor mental health after delivery.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Postpartum Depression Among Mothers Attending Public Health Centers of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2016

“…Furthermore, PPD was significantly higher among participants who had low income compared to those who did not. This was similar to other studies conducted in Saudi Arabia [ 32 ], Qatar [ 22 ], Korea [ 33 ], western Iran [ 27 ], south India [ 34 ], and Japan [ 20 ]. This might be because of overstressing to provide their children with everything they feel they require despite financial constraints and may in turn be related to having experienced stressful life events related to money during pregnancy or previous in life.…”

“…This result was comparable to studies conducted in China, a city of Poland and Lahore, Pakistan, where PPD was presented among 27% [ 10 ], 23% [ 16 ] and 25% [ 19 ] of women given birth, respectively. On the other hand, this figure was substantially higher when compared to other similar studies done in Japan [ 20 ], Canada [ 21 ], Qatar [ 22 ], Turkey [ 23 ] and Sudan [ 24 ] where the corresponding proportion of women displaying PPD was 8%, 9%, 19%, 15% and 9%, respectively. However, this figure is less compared to other similar studies done in the Ethiopian regions, Amhara (33%) and Oromia, Bale zone (32%) [ 25 , 26 ].…”

A pilot study of the relationship between diet and mental health in female university students enrolled in a training course for registered dietitians

“…Among food groups, the consumption of vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, and soy products was negatively correlated with GHQ scores [18]. In addition, subjects with proper and regular diets had better mental health parameters [19]. In this study, the score of the GHQ-12 was 3.11 ± 2.41.…”

“…Some studies describing the relationship between diet and mental health already exist [15][16][17][18][19]. Jacka et al reported that the intake of magnesium, folate, and zinc was associated with mental health using the validated food frequency questionnaire and the GHQ-12 [15].…”

Menopausal Age and Chronic Diseases in Elderly Women: A Cross-Sectional Study in Northeast China

“…All participants were divided into two groups based on GHQ-12 total scores, which range from 0 to 12, with a score of 4 as the cut-off point. Participants with scores ≥4 were classified as having poor mental health [21,22]. …”