HIV/AIDS and Postnatal Depression at the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia

OBJECTIVE: To study the contribution of HIV/AIDS to the problem of postnatal depression among women receiving postnatal care at University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Lusaka, Zambia. BACKGROUND: Postnatal depression (PND), a major depressive episode during the puerperium, affects between 10% and 22% of adult women before the infant's first birthday. HIV seropositivity has been associated with increased risk of mental disease, but its influence on postnatal depression has not been fully explored. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study, involving 229 mothers receiving postnatal care at UTH. The presence of postnatal depression and mean scores on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) were assessed, along with the patients' HIV status and other demographic and clinical characteristics. RESULTS: 146 of 229 patients (64%) had depressive symptoms as measured by an EPDS score ≥ 8. Sixty-four women (28%) had severe PND, defined as an EPDS score ≥ 13. There were 46 HIV positive women (20.1%). HIV status was not associated with PND (adjusted OR 1.22, 95% CI 0.50-2.96) or severe PND (adjusted OR 1.77, 95% CI 0.68-4.61). Mixed mode of infant feeding and parity of 4-5 were independently associated with PND. CONCLUSIONS: Depression is a real health problem among mothers attending postnatal care at UTH. HIV status was not independently associated with increased risk of postnatal depression. Keywords: postnatal depression, puerperium, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, prevalence of HIV/AIDS.