Postpartum Depression: Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors Among Women in Sindh, Pakistan

Introduction Postpartum depression (PPD) is defined as the onset of depressive symptoms within six weeks of childbirth. PPD is more common in resource-constrained countries as compared to developed countries. The study aimed to evaluate the factors associated with PPD among women in Sindh, Pakistan. Methods A multi-centre, cross-sectional study was conducted at three major tertiary care setups in Sindh, Pakistan. All women presenting to the outpatient department within six weeks of giving live birth were eligible to participate. All women who had stillbirths, abortions, or were treated for a past psychiatric illness or neurological disease were excluded from the study. The Edinburgh postpartum depression scale (EPDS) was used as a screening tool. All socio-demographic factors were documented in a predefined pro forma. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, Version 26, IBM, Chicago, IL). Results According to the Edinburgh postpartum depression scale (EPDS), the incidence of postpartum depression in the current study population was 19.3%. Of these, 12 (3.3%) women had persistently thought about self-harming. Over 100 women did not receive any formal education, constituting the majority of the study population. Formula milk feeding of the newborn was significantly associated with an increased frequency of postpartum depression (p= 0.0001). Conclusion The current study highlights the significant burden of postpartum depression in Pakistan. However, the present study failed to find any significant risk factors associated with postpartum depression. Only formula milk feeding was significantly associated with a higher frequency of PPD among study patients.