Anhedonia, anxiety, and depression components of Edinburgh postnatal depression scale in cesarean delivery

Abstract

Introduction Previous studies have indicated that cesarean delivery might pose risk factors for post-partum depression (PPD). However, results are conflicting and have failed to clearly distinguish between elective (ElCD) and emergency (EmCD) cesarean delivery. Objective The rate of elective cesarean delivery is rapidly increasing all over the world and it is important to identify whether the mode of delivery has an influence on PPD. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is a widely used instrument for PPD screening, also capable to detect in subscales anhedonia, anxiety, and depression factors. Methods A cohort of 959 Italian mothers delivering a healthy baby at Policlinico Abano Terme, Italy, completed the EPDS 2 days after delivery. Results EPDS scores were significantly higher in mothers with a cesarean delivery compared to mothers with a vaginal delivery (7.0±4.8 vs 6.1±4.2, P P Conclusions The results of our study indicate that women who had an ElCD have an increased risk of developing early symptoms of post-partum depression, anxiety, and anhedonia. In particular, this study shows that the use of EPDS subscales in the immediate post-partum is a good tool to better understanding the spectrum of maternal post-partum psychological problems related to delivery mode.