Social Support and Postpartum Depression among Hospitalized Women at a Public Hospital in Bangladesh

Abstract

Objectives: The study aimed to examine the relationship between social support and postpartum depression among hospitalized women at a public hospital in Bangladesh. Methods: A descriptive correlational study was conducted among 110 hospitalized postpartum women at a public hospital in Bangladesh using a convenience sampling technique. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews by using the Personal Resources Questionnaire to evaluate social support and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale to assess postpartum depression. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study was conducted from June 2021 to June 2022. Results: The study result revealed that the majority (65.5%) of postpartum women experienced depression. Participants' age, number of gravida, mode of delivery, and place of living were significantly associated with postpartum depression. The number of gravida and educational level were also found to be significantly associated with perceived social support. A highly significant negative correlation was found between social support and postpartum depression. Conclusion: The findings will be useful by describing factors of postpartum depression, early detection of postpartum depression and educating the public about the importance of social support during the postpartum period. The study also hopes to reduce maternal stress, unfavourable mother-child health outcomes, hospitalization and treatment cost for postpartum depression.