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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Using Chronic Social Stress to Model Postpartum Depression in Lactating Rodents
Published on: June 10, 2013
[Prevalence and risk factors for depression in postpartum women]
J M Vega-Dienstmaier1, G Mazzotti, S Stucchi-Portocarrero
1Instituto Nacional de Salud Mental "Honorio Delgado-Hideyo Noguchi", Perú. jvegad@amauta.rcp.net.pe
Introduction:
The objectives of the research are to determine the prevalence of major depression after childbirth and compare it with that of non-postpartum women; and to study the risk factors for postpartum depression.
Method:
We studied 425 women: 321 women in the first postpartum year, 41 nulliparous women and 63 women with more than 1 year postpartum.
Results:
The prevalence of major depression in the first postpartum year was 5.92%; this value was significantly lower than that of the women with more than 1 year postpartum. In women with less than 2 years postpartum we found less depression than in those with more than 2 years of delivery. The risk factors associated with postpartum depression found by logistic regression were: obsessive-compulsive disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, previous major depression, maternity blues, young age and lower educational grade.
Conclusions:
Our study does not support the existence of a greater prevalence of major depression during postpartum in Peruvian women.
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