Objective: To study the related factors of postpartum depression (PPD) and the effects of intervening measures to PPD incidence.
Methods: 1 597 pregnant women selected from our antenatal care clinic were investigated by using the hospital anxiety and depression questionnaire (HAD) during pregnancy and the Edinburgh postpartum depression scale (EPDS) after childbirth. All the enrolled women were randomly divided into control group and intervening group by the proportion of 1 to 2. Six intervening measures were used in the latter group.
Results: (1) There were 49 women whose HAD >or= 11 score (anxiety-depression mood) with 28 cases (57.1%) had got postpartum depression in the control group. In the intervening group, however, there were 94 women whose HAD >or= 11 score with 24 cases (25.5%) had got postpartum depression. There is a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.01). (2) There were 71 (13.0%) women whose EPDS >or= 13 score (postpartum depression) in the control group. In the intervening group, however, there were 63 (6.0%) women whose EPDS >or= 13 score. There had a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.01). (3) PPD women had higher N and P scores than those of non-PPD women (P < 0.01).
Conclusion: (1) Prenatal anxiety, depression, negative personality and postpartum psychological and physiological changes were high risk factors to PPD. (2) Psychological personality play an important role in PPD. (3) Incidence of PPD was significantly reduced by social support.