[Risk factors associated with postnatal depressive symptomatology: a study conducted in the Southern Area of the Local Health Unit of Modena].

OBJECTIVE

postpartum depression is one of the most important and common health problems. The aim of this study is to investigate and determine significant risk factors associated with the development of postnatal depressive symptomatology at 6-8 weeks after childbirth in a sample of Italian women.

DESIGN

retrospective study on risk factors related to the development of postnatal depressive symptomatology at 6-8 weeks after childbirth.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

the study was conducted in the Southern Area of the Local Health Unit of Modena: 300 women who gave birth in Pavullo in the Frignano's Hospital or in Sassuolo's Hospital from 13.12.2009 to 3.2.2010 were considered.

METHODS

four weeks after delivery, women had to complete the Postpartum Depression Predictors Inventory-Revised (PDPI-R) to detect the presence of specific risk factors. Then a double-test strategy, including the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the General Health Questionnaire 12 items (GHQ12) at 6-8 weeks after childbirth, was used. The women who scored values above the cut-off in both tests have been considered to have high depressive symptomatology.

RESULTS

risk factors associated with postnatal depressive symptomatology were: low self-esteem, prenatal anxiety, prior depression, child care stress and baby blues (p <0.01), prenatal depression, lack of social support from partner and difficult infant temperament (p <0.05).

CONCLUSION

14.3% of the women considered showed high depressive symptomatology at 6-8 weeks after delivery (according to the prevalence rates of postpartum depression in Western Countries). Furthermore, the results (risk factors) mainly confirmed the evidence of the international literature.