A Retrospective Study to Identify the Causes of Post-Natal Depression among Post-Natal Mothers of a Selected Hospital at Bharuch, Gujarat

Abstract

The birth of a baby can trigger a jumble of powerful emotions, from excitement and joy to fear and anxiety. But it can also result in something you might not expect-depression. Post-natal depression is a type of depression that many parents experience after having a baby. It is a common problem, affecting more than 1 in every 10 women within a year of giving birth. Post-partum depression is not a character Á aw or a weakness. Sometimes it is simply a complication of giving birth. In post-partum depression, prompt treatment can mitigate the symptoms and help develop bonds with baby. The aim of this study was to determine the causes of post-partum depression among post-natal mothers from selected hospital at Bharuch using Edinburgh Post-natal Depression Scale Score (EPDS). In this retrospective study endeavour was made to assess the level of post-natal depression among mothers; identify the causes of depression among post-natal mothers; Ànd out the association between causes of post-natal depression with demographic variable. Cases were selected by probability sampling in which total enumerative sampling technique was used; total 60 samples were selected. EPDS was used to identify the causes of post-natal depression among mothers; 39 (65%) post-natal mothers had depression not likely; 12 (20%) had possible depression; 7 (11%) had fairly high possibility of depression; 2 (3%) had probably depression. Occupations of the husband, income and marital status have high association with level of depression. The major causes of post-natal depression were Number of pregnancies, Mode of delivery, Sex of baby, Health status of baby and Planned pregnancy. It was found that all factors are signiÀcant except planned pregnancy. To conclude, psychological support would enhance the attachment between mother and children; this will further reduce the impact of depression among the mothers.