Caregivers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding postpartum depression: a cross-sectional study.

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Mental Health
• Public Health
• Sociology

Background:

• Postpartum depression (PPD) significantly impacts maternal and infant well-being.
• Caregiver involvement in PPD management is crucial but underexplored.
• Understanding caregiver knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) is essential for effective PPD support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of caregivers regarding postpartum depression (PPD).
• To identify factors associated with caregiver KAP levels concerning PPD.
• To explore the interrelationships among KAP dimensions in PPD caregiving.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 503 primary caregivers of postpartum women in Henan, China.
• Validated questionnaire used to assess KAP levels related to PPD.
• Multivariable logistic regression and structural equation modeling (SEM) employed for data analysis.

Main Results:

• Caregivers achieved mean scores of 10.63/26 for knowledge, 38.31/45 for attitude, and 30.28/40 for practice.
• Lack of access to professional psychological counseling correlated with lower PPD knowledge.
• Higher knowledge and positive attitudes significantly predicted proactive caregiving practices (P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

• Caregivers exhibit limited PPD knowledge but generally positive attitudes and practices.
• Targeted educational interventions are needed to improve caregiver PPD knowledge.
• Enhanced access to psychological support can bolster caregiver capacity in managing PPD and supporting postpartum mental health.