Postnatal depression in first-time mothers: prevalence and relationships between functional and structural social

Patricia Leahy-Warren1, Geraldine McCarthy, Paul Corcoran

  • 1Catherine McAuley School of Nursing andMidwifery, Brookfield Health Sciences Complex,University College, Cork, Ireland. patricia.leahy@ucc.ie

Postnatal depression (PND) is a significant public health issue, with variable prevalence and a dearth of research on risk and protective factors. This quantitative longitudinal study of 512 first-time mothers identified the prevalence of PND and examined the relationships between functional and structural social support at 6 and 12 weeks postpartum. The prevalence of PND was 13.2% at 6 weeks and 9.8% at 12 weeks. At 6 and 12 weeks, the only social support dimension independently associated with PND was total functional social support. At-birth formal structural support and emotional functional support were independently predictive of PND at 12 weeks.

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