Disrespectful Maternity Care and Postpartum Depression at 2 Months: A Population-Based Study

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Maternal Mental Health
• Public Health

Background:

• Postpartum depression (PPD) is a significant concern affecting maternal well-being.
• Disrespectful treatment during maternity care can negatively impact women's experiences and mental health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between experiencing disrespectful maternity care and the development of postpartum depression symptoms.
• To quantify the risk of PPD associated with disrespectful care in a large, population-based sample.

Main Methods:

• A nationwide, population-based, cross-sectional study utilizing data from the 2021 Enquête Nationale Périnatale (ENP) survey in France.
• Retrospective assessment of disrespectful maternity care and 2-month postpartum depression symptoms (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score ≥ 13) in 7189 women.
• Poisson regression analysis, adjusted for confounders and weighted for attrition, was used to estimate the association.

Main Results:

• Nearly a quarter (24.9%) of women reported experiencing disrespectful maternity care.
• Women who experienced disrespectful care were significantly more likely to have postpartum depression symptoms at 2 months (adjusted relative risk [aRR] 1.37; 95% CI 1.20-1.56).
• The prevalence of 2-month PPD symptoms was 16.6% in the overall study population.

Conclusions:

• Disrespectful maternity care is prevalent and independently associated with an increased risk of postpartum depression symptoms.
• Enhancing the respectfulness of maternity care presents a potential modifiable target for reducing the burden of postpartum depression.
• Addressing disrespectful care is crucial for improving maternal mental health and overall childbirth experience.