Postpartum depression prevalence, risk factors, and interventions among women in Punjab, Pakistan

The purpose of this study was to look at the prevalence and risk factors for postpartum depression among Pakistani women.

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 400 women who gave birth within the past three weeks to one year. The time frame for data collection was from December 2023 to April 2024, from different hospitals in Punjab, Pakistan. There were 5 sections in the questionnaire, Section 1 aimed at assessing the socio-demographic characteristics of the participants, Section 2 contained 3 questions about pregnancy and postpartum experience, Section 3 contained 10 questions about postpartum depression screening, Section 4 contained 12 questions related to risk factors and Section 5 contained 10 questions of Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Statistical test, i.e. binary logistic regression, was employed to investigate associations between the dependent and independent variables. A significance level of p ≤ 0.05 was adopted to determine statistically significant findings. The research was carried out after approval from the University`s Research and Ethics Committee.

According to the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale (EPDS), the incidence of postpartum depression in the current study population was 12.5%. We found that the education of respondents was significantly associated with an increased frequency of postpartum depression. (p = 0.002). Further, in women having a family history of mental disorders, unplanned or unwanted pregnancies, complications during pregnancy, unsatisfying relationships, and previous anxiety symptoms, the chances of postpartum depression were higher (p < 0.05).

The postnatal period is when women are most vulnerable to developing postpartum mental diseases, including postpartum depression and psychosis. Because there is a strong link between the prevalence of postpartum depression and particular psychosocial variables, healthcare practitioners must pay close attention to this issue and design strategies for the effective detection and management of individuals with this condition.