Maternity blues and postpartum depression.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relationship between maternity blues and postpartum depression in mothers discharged early from the hospital and those discharged after the customary length of hospital stay.

DESIGN

A descriptive correlation design.

SETTING

550-bed community and teaching hospital in the midwestern United States.

PARTICIPANTS

49 privately paying, primiparous, American-born women, 18 years of age or older, with uncomplicated pregnancies and vaginal deliveries of healthy neonates weighing 2,600-4,000 g.

MEASURES

Stein Maternity Blues Scale and Beck Depression Inventory were used to collect data.

RESULTS

No significant differences found between the two groups of mothers; significant relationships found between maternity blues at 1 week after delivery and postpartum depression at 6 and 12 weeks after delivery.

CONCLUSIONS

Early discharge appears to pose no threat to psychologic well-being. Primiparas experiencing more severe maternity blues are at increased risk for postpartum depression.