Postpartum depression and associated factors among mothers in Bahir Dar Town, Northwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Background Postpartum depressive symptoms are the occurrence of major depressive episode within 4 weeks following delivery. Globally, 10%–20% of mothers suffer from depressive symptoms during their postpartum course. Therefore, assessing postpartum depressive symptoms has a pivotal role in ensuring that their mental health needs are met. Methods An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted including 511 mothers coming for postnatal care service in public health centers in Bahir Dar Town. Data were collected using a pre-tested, structured, and interviewer-administered questionnaire, while the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to assess individuals’ depressive symptoms. The systematic random sampling technique was employed to recruit the study participants. Adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to declare the statistical significance of the factors. Results Postpartum depressive symptoms among mothers were found to be 22.1 (95%, CI 18.6%, 25.8%). In multivariate logistic regression, stressful life events (AOR = 4.46, 95% CI 2.64, 7.54), domestic decision making (AOR = 4.26, 95% CI 2.54, 7.14), unplanned pregnancy (AOR = 1.86, 95% CI 1.02, 3.41), partner violence (AOR = 3.16, 95% CI 1.76, 5.67), and hospitalization of their babies (AOR = 2.24, 95% CI 1.17, 4.310) were factors significantly associated with postpartum depressive symptoms. Conclusions Postpartum depressive symptoms among mothers were common in the study area. Stressful life events, lack of empowerment in domestic decision making, intimate partner violence, unplanned pregnancy, and hospitalization of their baby were factors significantly associated with postpartum depression. The Ministry of Health needs to give training on how to screen postpartum depressive symptoms among mothers, and interventions that would address the above factors would benefit in tackling further complications.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Depression in Postnatal Women in the Case of a Low-Income Country; Ethiopia, 2020

“…In this meta-analysis, a total of sixteen studies that assessed the prevalence of postpartum depression (21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36) and fourteen studies that assessed the associated factors (21,22,24,(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)59) had been analyzed. A total of 11400 postpartum women had participated in this analysis.…”

“…Of included studies three (26,34,36), ten (21-24, 27, 29-32, 35), and another three (25,28,33) utilized PHQ-9, EPDS, and SRQ-20 to asses depression in the postnatal women. Besides regarding, the design type of the study; eight (21,23,25,28,(32)(33)(34)36), seven (22,24,27,(29)(30)(31)35) and one (26) were communitybased cross-sectional, institution-based cross-sectional and cohort in respective order. Besides, six of the studies (23,25,27,28,30,34) employed a multi-stage sampling method during data collection.…”

“…Besides, six of the studies (23,25,27,28,30,34) employed a multi-stage sampling method during data collection. All of the studies have reported a response rate for the study (21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36) (Table 1). Table 1 Characteristics of studies on postpartum depression which are incorporated in this meta-analysis according to author rst name, year of publication, setting of study, design, sample size, assessment instrument, study population and magnitude of postpartum depression and sampling methods, response rate Author, year…”

“…Another systematic review and meta-analysis study in India which assessed 38 studies reported a pooled prevalence of postpartum depression to be 22% (10). Moreover, other individual studies reported earlier showed that postpartum depression was 17.6% in Portugal (11), 27.3% in China(12), 61.4% in Korea(13), 18.6% in Qatar(14), 34.8% in Iraq(15), 34% in Jamaica(16) ,15.4% in Turkey (17), 13.5% and 10.3% in Oman(18), 31.7% in South Africa (19), and 43% in Uganda (20).In Ethiopia, the prevalence of postpartum depression varies between 12.2-33.8% (21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36).…”

“…Poor social support (37), poverty (38), and childbirth without the presence of relatives (39), history of depression (40), and poor woman autonomy (41) from socio-demographic variables, multi-parity (42), prime-parity (43,44), multiple children at home (45), negative attitude toward to one's pregnancy (22,(46)(47)(48)(49), depression during pregnancy (42,50), premarital pregnancy (51,52), miscarriage (53), and prenatal high anxiety(47) from pregnancy and newborn related factors, alcohol use in the husband (54), intimate partner violence (22,55,56), poor husbands education (45), husbands unemployment (46,57), and psychiatric problems in the husband (58) among husband related factors were among the associated factors for the development of postpartum depression. In the context of Ethiopia too, poor marital relation (27,29,32,34,35,59), unplanned pregnancy (21,22,24,27,29,32,34), previous history of depression (21,27,28,34), domestic violence…”