Postpartum Depression Screening Scale Research Articles

Postpartum Depression Screening Scale: Its Availability for Use.

A silent health crisis in the United States is the underdiagnosed and undertreated mental health of women related to childbirth. This discussion paper describes the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS) with its scoring and interpretation along with its psychometric testing and translations. In addition to the studies conducted by the instrument developers, databases were searched for studies where other researchers used the PDSS to assess postpartum depressive symptoms. Studies were included that measured the psychometrics of the scale and studies that reported the translation of the PDSS into other languages. Evidence is presented that the PDSS is a reliable and valid screening scale for use by psychiatric mental health nurses and other health care providers. The scale also has been translated into 14 languages, so it is available to screen non-English speaking mothers. Childbirth is one of the most powerful triggers of psychiatric illness in a woman's life. Postpartum depression is a treatable mental health condition, but first, women need to be screened so they can be identified and referrals made. Screening for this devastating mood disorder in new mothers is an essential role of psychiatric mental health nurses and other clinicians so that treatment can be started as early as possible to avoid harmful consequences.

Caffeinated non-alcoholic beverages on the postpartum mental health related to the COVID-19 pandemic by a cross-sectional study in Argentina.

This work aimed to study postpartum mental outcomes and determinants of the intake of caffeinated beverages during the pandemic in women from Argentina. This cross-sectional study recruited 619 women who responded to online self-report questionnaires during the first and second waves of COVID-19, including validated instruments (Insomnia Severity Index, Perceived Stress Scale, Postpartum Depression Screening Scale, Memory Complaint Scale, and Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale), and general data. Intake frequency and amount of caffeinated beverages were estimated. Multivariate regression and structural equation models identified associations and effects (p<0.05). Women were under social restrictions for 60.39 days, with home and essential activities increasing caffeinated intake. They ingested (mL/d): yerba mate (1457.71), coffee (66.85), tea (67.61), and soft drinks (50.95), which provided 646.20mg/d of caffeine. Intakes of coffee and yerba mate were higher than pre-pandemic ones. Coffee was positively associated with stress and insomnia, and indirectly linked to higher levels of depression and memory complaints, and lower breastfeeding self-efficacy. Tea showed a similar but weaker association. Yerba mate correlated inversely with depression (through direct pathways), insomnia, and memory complaints (through indirect pathways), promoting breastfeeding self-efficacy. Soft drinks and caffeine did not present significant associations. Although findings do not imply causation, results suggest that beverages would exhibit caffeine-independent affective and cognitive roles, which might be anxiogenic in the case of coffee and tea (to a lesser extent). Yerba mate showed antidepressant potential. Given that breastfeeding might be compromised during the pandemic, yerba mate intake is promissory to protect postpartum mental health.

Development of Practice Guidelines for Peripartum Depression in Primary Healthcare

Abstract Background Antenatal and postpartum major depressive episode (MDE) according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition (DSM-V) is defined as either daily sustained sad mood or lack of enjoyment or desire for a minimum two weeks plus four associated manifestations (only three if the two major symptoms are present): 1) Unintentional notable slimming up or down; 2) Sleepiness or sleeplessness; 3)Tiredness sensation; 4) Guilty or futility sensation; 5) Declined concentration capacity; 6) Frequent suicidal thoughts or 7) Psychomotor excitation or delay, that start throughout pregnancy or during the first 4 weeks postpartum respectively. Objective To develop Egyptian practice guidelines for peripartum depression in Primary Healthcare (PHC). Methods The current study was conducted thorough Delphi technique by participation of Thirteen experts at psychiatry and family medicine specialties from different governmental universities, Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP), World Health Organization (WHO) and World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) via email thorough three consecutive phases of Delphi technique. Results The current study recommended health education programs, provision of awareness about physical exercise’s importance for prevention of antenatal and postnatal depression, adding telephone- based peer support for the preventive measures of the antenatal depression and family therapy for the postpartum depression prevention. Screening for all the pregnant women every trimester by patient health questionnaire II and screening for all the new mothers every well child clinic visit in the first year after delivery by Edinburg Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS). Diagnosis by beck depression inventory II questionnaire and Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS) for antenatal and postnatal depression respectively with post diagnosis evaluation for: 1) Comorbid anxiety; 2) Bipolar disorder; 3) Thoughts of harming intrauterine fetus or newborns; 4) Suicidal thoughts and 5) Psychotic features. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for treatment of mild cases and CBT with half dose sertraline for moderate cases of antenatal depression. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for mild cases, CBT and the usual dose sertraline for moderate cases with no hormonal therapy for any patient. Referral for patients with: 1) severe depression; 2) comorbid anxiety; 3) bipolar disorder; 4) thoughts of harming intrauterine fetus or newborns; 5) suicidal thoughts; 6) psychotic features; 7) substance abuse. Conclusion development of Egyptian practice guidelines for peripartum depression in PHC. Wide dissemination of the practice guidelines to all the Egyptian PHC facilities via a suitable method and training programs for the family physicians on practicing these guidelines must be ensured.

Factors affecting mother-infant bonding in a Polish group of mothers

AimThe study aimed to identify the factors affecting the mother-infant bond. MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 117 mothers of infants up to 12 months of age. The participants completed online versions of the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale – Short Form, the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire, the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale, the Perception of Stress Questionnaire, and the Prenatal Expectations Scale, which included expectations toward the child, social functioning, and the partner. The results were analyzed using independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and multivariate linear regression. ResultsMothers who experienced symptoms of postpartum depression reported lower satisfaction with motherhood, higher stress levels, and greater discrepancies between prenatal expectations and postpartum reality. Regression analysis revealed that postpartum depression symptoms did not significantly influence the three dimensions of bonding difficulties. However, stress, discrepancies between expectations toward the partner and child, and maternal sense of competence were found to potentially intensify bonding disorders. The study also found that greater disappointment with the partner was generally associated with a weaker bond with the child. However, in cases where caring for a child was more challenging than expected during pregnancy, high emotional tension was present, or the mother had lower parental competencies, having a partner who functioned better than expected may exacerbate the disruption of the bond between the mother and child. ConclusionsPrenatal expectations, perceived stress levels, and maternal sense of competence are significant factors in bonding difficulties, with postpartum depression symptoms being an important as single variable. However, the role of postpartum depression symptoms in shaping the mother-infant bond diminishes when the overall functioning of the mother is considered.

Predicting Women with Postpartum Depression Symptoms Using Machine Learning Techniques

Being pregnant and giving birth are big life stages that occur for women. The physical and mental effects of pregnancy and childbirth, like those of many other fleeting life experiences, have the significant potential to influence a mother’s overall health and well-being. They have also been known to trigger Postpartum Depression (PPD) in many cases. PPD can be exhausting for the mother and it may have a negative impact on her capacity to care for herself and her kid if it is not treated. For this reason, in this study, initially, physiological questionnaire Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) data were collected from delivered mothers for one week, the score was evaluated by medical experts, and participants with PDD symptoms were identified. As a part of multistage progress, further, follow-up was carried out by collecting the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS) questionnaires for the above-predicted participants until six weeks. As the second step, correlated risk factors with PPD symptoms were identified using statistical analysis. Finally, data were analyzed and used to train and test machine learning algorithms in order to predict postpartum depression from one to six weeks. The extremely Randomized Trees (XRT) algorithm with (Background Information + PHQ-9 + PDSS) data offers the most accurate and efficient prediction. Pregnant women with these features could be identified and treated properly. Moreover, it reduces prolonged complications and remains cost-effective in future clinical models.

The Postpartum Obsessive-Compulsive Scale: Psychometric, Operative and Epidemiologic Study in a Portuguese Sample.

Background: Although obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms are common in the perinatal period, measures to comprehensively assess their presence, frequency, interference and severity are lacking. The Perinatal Obsessive–Compulsive Scale (POCS) is the only self-report questionnaire with context-specific items. It includes items to assess perinatal-specific obsessions and compulsions, a severity scale and an interference scale. Objectives: (1) to analyze the validity and reliability of the Portuguese version of the POCS; (2) to find Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD) prevalence in postpartum and determine the POCS cut-off scores and its accuracy (sensitivity, specificity and predictive values) in screening for OCD according to DSM-5 criteria; (3) to describe the prevalence, content, severity, interference and onset of OC symptoms in the postpartum. Methods: 212 women in postpartum filled in a booklet, including the POCS Portuguese preliminary version, the Perinatal Anxiety Screening Scale and the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale; they were interviewed with the Diagnostic Interview for Psychological Distress—Postpartum. Results: Confirmatory Factor Analysis revealed that POCS presented acceptable fit indexes (χ2/df = 2.2971; CFI= 0.9319; GFI = 0.8574; TLI = 0.9127; RMSEA = 0.860, p < 0.001). The Cronbach’s alphas were all > 0.800. The POCS cut-off point that maximized the Youden Index (J = 0.86, 95% CI [0.94–0.99]) was 20, corresponding to an Area Under the Curve of 0.970 (p < 0.001; Standard Error = 0.031; 95% CI: 0.937 to 0.988). The prevalence of postpartum OCD was 3.30%. The severity of thoughts and behaviors was moderate to severe for approximately 15% of women. For thirty-five percent of women, the onset of symptoms was in the first three months postpartum. Conclusions: The Portuguese version of POCS has good validity, reliability and accuracy and may be considered ready for use in both clinic and research fields. POCS provides specific information regarding symptoms and individual patterns experienced by each woman, which allows normalization, destigmatization and personalized intervention.

Predictive validity of the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale and other tools for screening depression in pregnant and postpartum women: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

To compare the predictive validity of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and other tools for screening depression in pregnant and postpartum women through a systematic review and meta-analysis. An electronic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycArticles databases was conducted using the following keywords: depression, perinatal-related terms, and EPDS. Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 was used to assess the risk of bias in diagnostic studies. The search identified 823 articles, of which 17 studies met the inclusion criteria. In 1831 pregnant women from nine studies, pooled sensitivity and specificity of the EPDS were 0.81 and 0.87, respectively, with summary receiver operating characteristic (sROC) curve of 0.90. In 515 postpartum women from six studies, pooled sensitivity, specificity, and sROC were 0.79, 0.92, and 0.90, respectively. We then compared the EPDS with other tools using three or more studies. The sROC curve of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was 0.74, which was lower than that (0.86) of the EPDS. The sROC curve of the Beck Depression Inventory and the ten-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale was 0.91, similar to that of the EPDS (0.90 and 0.87). However, in comparison with the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (0.98), the sROC curve of the EPDS was 0.54. As a tool specialized for screening depression in pregnant and postpartum women, the EPDS showed excellent performance. Thus, the EPDS can be used in preference to other tools to screen for depression in perinatal women at a primary care setting or a midwifery center.

The enduring impact of birth: Women's birth perceptions, postpartum depressive symptoms, and postpartum depression risk.

Postpartum depression (PPD) and related maternal mood disorders affect anywhere from 7% to 19% of postpartum women. Although historically a neglected issue, there has been a strong impetus in the past few decades to implement routine, universal screening and to address PPD as a major public health concern. Still, there has been relatively little analysis of how the quality of the birth experience influences subsequent maternal mental health. We examine the relationship between perceived birth experience and two PPD screeners (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and Postpartum Depression Screening Scale). Data came from waves I and II of the Listening to Mothers data set. This is the only national survey of US women's childbirth and postpartum experiences. In logistic and linear regression models, we used a 12-item "feeling" index (perceived birth experience) to predict (a) overall PPD screener scores, and (b) likelihood of meeting the clinical cutoff for depression risk. We also controlled for other known socio-demographic and obstetric risk factors. Perceived birth experience strongly and consistently predicted both PPD screener measures, and in both forms-raw scores and clinical cutoffs. By contrast, other known risk factors had inconsistent results across the two screeners. Perceived birth experience should be considered more central in assessing PPD. It may also be more robust than the PPD screeners used in practice, and therefore, could be a more reliable predictor of PPD. Providers should consider how the improved social-psychological quality of women's birth experience can act as a buffer to PPD and other postpartum concerns.

Dimensions of depressive symptomatology in mothers derived from factor analyses

Subtypes of depression have been under studied in women during the peripartum period and the year after childbirth and delivery. Due to heterogeneity of depression, researchers have attempted to identify phenotypes of maternal and postpartum depression based on key symptoms that may represent underlying genes and biological etiology (Leuchter et al. Dialog Clinic Neurosci 16(4):525, 2014). The current study collected self-report data from 587 women and utilized exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) to identify subtypes of depression symptoms across two measures. Findings of the study showed that: (1) using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS), a five-factor solution best fit the data in our sample of mothers with infants aged 4-14months. The factors included: anxiety/thought disorder; cognitive depression; suicide; somatic/neurovegetative; and sleep [χ2 (454, N = 587) = 1102.61, p < 0.001, comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.93, Tucker Lewis index (TLI) = 0.92, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.05]; and (2) the following factors significantly positively predicted interview-based diagnosis of depression: cognitive symptoms of depression and sleep [χ2 (482, N = 587) = 1170.40, p < 0.001, TLI = 0.91, CFI = 0.93, RMSEA = 0.05]. Future research could assess the clinical benefits of screening for maternal mood disorders.

Maternal Postpartum Depression

Pregnancy and childbirth are major and important events in a life of a woman. Giving birth to a child is a life changing and challenging incident for every mother. The primary aim of the present study was to check the prevalence of postpartum depression in semi-urban and rural areas and to see how delivery type and gender of a born child is effective in developing postpartum depression. The study was conducted on 200 postpartum women. Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (Cheryl Tatano Beck and Robert K Gable) was used for determining the postpartum depression. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and comparison done with the t-test. Results show that postpartum depression does not differ among mothers with natural delivery and mothers with caesarean delivery. Mothers having female child experience more sleeping or eating disturbances, anxiety and insecurity feeling, emotional lability, mental confusion, loss of self and guilt than mothers having male child. The practical implications have been discussed in light of the research findings. This includes a need for a psychological counselor in maternity homes or clinics and beyond that there is a strong need for awareness in families about postpartum depression.

Postpartum depression and the scarcity of generalizable evidence: A mini-review of existing literature and the way forward

The first known reference to Postpartum Depression (PPD), was Hippocrates’ 4th century hypothesis that drainage of lochia, if suppressed, could flow to the brain resulting in agitation, delirium, and episodes of mania. This hypothesis became dogma and lasted over a millennium. Over the years, knowledge of PPD has evolved but researchers still struggle to establish it as a distinct disease entity. It was initially recognized as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) with postpartum onset in the 1994 revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), the “bible” of diagnostic criteria for mental health professionals and researchers. It is currently recognized as MDD with peripartum onset (DSM-V) and researchers have admitted that persuasive evidence to indicate that postpartum depression is distinct from other existing depressive disorders, has not been found. Several diagnostic tools such as the Edinburg Postpartum Depression Scale (EDPS), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS) are available for use but none of these is universally accepted. With much of the published literature plagued with bias and structural inconsistencies, the credibility of the evidence has been greatly diminished. The difficulty with disease designation, the absence of a universally accepted tool for diagnosis and the scarcity of generalizable evidence on the subject has impaired the early recognition and effective management of PPD. It is therefore expedient, to critically appraise some of the available literature and proffer solutions to navigating this conundrum.

Associations of Maternal-Infant Bonding with Maternal Mental Health, Infant's Characteristics and Socio-Demographical Variables in the Early Postpartum Period: A Cross-Sectional Study.

(1) Background: There is a continuing discussion concerning the impact of preterm birth on Maternal-Infant bonding with inconsistent results. The large burden of preterm births calls for research to evaluate the impact of it on material psychological outcome in the early postpartum period. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between maternal postpartum bonding with maternal mental health, socio-demographical factors, and child’s characteristics. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used. In total, 72 women (a mean age of 31.44 years old) of preterm infants (mean gestational age = 33.54; range 24–36) filled out socio-demographic questionnaires, Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ), Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS), Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7), and Parental Stress Scale (PSS) 1–3 days post-delivery; (3) Results: The results analyses have shown positive correlations between the overall result of maternal postpartum bonding with stress (p < 0.01), maternal educational level (p < 0.01), maternal age (p < 0.05) and the number of children (p < 0.01). However, there were no significant relationships between other investigated variables. The results of linear regression have revelated the important role of the overall scores in experience of stress among mothers (explaining 49% of the variability). The mediating role of maternal stress on maternal postpartum bonding was not found. That relationship of maternal postpartum bonding and maternal stress was not moderated through socio-demographic variables. (4) Conclusions: In this study mothers of prematurely born children had a good level of Maternal-Infant bonding. Maternal stress was found to be a predictor of maternal postpartum bonding among the tested variables. Surprisingly, the study results did not show significant relationships between maternal postpartum bonding and maternal mental health (depression and anxiety).

Socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities in postpartum consultation for mental health concerns among US mothers.

Limited research has examined factors that impact access to postpartum mental healthcare. We investigated the predisposing, enabling, and need factors associated with postpartum consultation for mental health concerns in US mothers with or without depressive symptoms and examined potential disparities in access. We utilized cross-sectional data from the Listening to Mothers II Survey, the second national US survey of women's childbearing experiences. The survey recruited 1573 women, aged 18-45years, who spoke English andhad given birth. Depressive symptoms were measured with the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS-SF). The dependent variable was postpartum consultation for mental health concerns. Logistic regression analyses showed that mothers with scores of 14-21 and 22-35 on the PDSS-SF had higher odds of consulting a provider for mental health concerns (OR 3.97; OR 12.91). Latinas had lower odds of seeking mental health consultations than Whites (OR 0.39). Mothers who were employed prenatally full-time or part-time had lower odds of seeking consultations than non-employed mothers (OR 0.62; OR 0.52). Mothers with household incomes of $50,000-$74,999 had higher odds of seeking consultations than those with incomes less than $25,000 (OR 2.20). When regression analyses were restricted to mothers with PDSS-SF scores ≥ 14, findings were similar by race/ethnicity and prenatal employment. Significant depressive symptoms are common in women after giving birth and few sought any form of mental health consultation. Latinas and low-income women are less likely to seek postpartum mental health consultations. Mental health care interventions could be geared towards targeting these at-risk groups.

Brazilian version of the postpartum depression screening scale-24

IntroductionThe PDSS-24 is a Portuguese short version of the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (Beck and Gable, 2002). Items were selected on the basis of exploratory factor analysis (those with loadings &gt;.60). The PDSS-24 proved to be superior to the 35-items PDSS in reliability, validity and screening ability (Pereira et al. 2013).ObjectivesTo analyze the psychometric properties (construct validity using Confirmatory Factor Analysis, discriminant validity and reliability) of the Brazilian preliminary version of PDSS-24MethodsAfter confirming the items semantic equivalence and slightly adapt two adjectives from European to Brazilian Portuguese, 350 pregnant women (Mean age: 30.01±5.452; Mean gestation weeks=25.17±6.55), with uncomplicated pregnancies, completed the PDSS-24 and the Brazilian recently validated versions of Profile of Mood States-25 (PoMS; Barros et al. 2021). SPSS and AMOS software were used.ResultsAfter some errors were correlated the multidimensional second-order model of PDSS-24 presented an aceptable fit (χ2=3.448; RMSEA=.099; CFI=.817, TLI=.886, GFI=.886). The PDSS Cronbach’s alpha for the total was α=.90. Cronbach alpha was .90 for the total and &gt;.75 for the dimensions. Appling the Portuguese validated cut-off score for Major Depression/DSM-5 (&gt;42) to this sample 224 (64.0%) participants presented clinical relevant depressive symptoms.ConclusionsThe Brazilian PDSS-24 has acceptable validity and reliability. The percentage of women with high depressive symptomatology is three times higher than the figures reported in Portuguese Studies. This can be partly explained by the fact that data collection was done during the COVID19 pandemic. It is important to determine the PDSS cut-offs to screen for perinatal depression in Brazil.

Психологическая диагностика послеродовой депрессии у матерей преждевременно рожденных детей

The article reports the results of the study of emotional interaction between mothers and their prematurely born children. In particular, it discusses the tools to diagnose the probability of postnatal depression in mothers of prematurely born children. The article provides a review of international research of the last six years on the impact of maternal depression and anxiety on the interaction with a premature baby. It also focuses on the degree of psychological distress, anxiety and stress reactions associated with. The theoretical analysis of the issue in question has shown the need for early diagnosis of postnatal depression in mothers of prematurely born children. A survey of 234 mothers of prematurely born children showed that they could develop postnatal depression at different stages of the study. The reason lies in the approaches to diagnosis. At the first stage, diagnosis was carried out within a group at the first meeting of mothers of preterm babies with a psychologist. At the second stage the sample was diagnosed by an already familiar psychologist. The differences in data on a sample of mothers of prematurely born children were identified with the most well-known and popular methods: the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (J. L. Cox, J. M. Holden, R. Sagovsky) and the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (A. T. Beck). The Postpartum Depression Screening Scale was found to be more sensitive than the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.

Maternal-Infant Bonding and Its Relationships with Maternal Depressive Symptoms, Stress and Anxiety in the Early Postpartum Period in a Polish Sample.

A large body of literature indicates that there is a relationship between maternal psychological well-being and the early maternal–infant bond. However, this relationship is not fully understood, due to the different theoretical frameworks of maternal–infant bonding and different data collections points. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the maternal bond and the maternal psychological state including anxiety, stress, and maternal depressive symptoms. In this cohort study, 150 women who gave birth after 37 weeks of pregnancy completed the following self-reports 1–3 days post-delivery: Socio-demographic questionnaire, Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ), Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS), Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7), and Parental Stress Scale (PSS). The obtained results showed that the maternal level of stress, anxiety and postnatal depressive symptoms are significantly correlated with the maternal–infant bond in Polish mothers. In addition, regression analysis shows that postpartum depressive symptoms and maternal stress are significantly associated with the maternal–infant bonding process in the early postpartum period. This finding emphasizes the importance of identifying maternal mental state difficulties in the early postpartum period in order to provide interventions to help build healthy maternal–infant bonding.

Effect of Fathers’ Presence and Involvement in Newborn Care in the NICU on Mothers’ Symptoms of Postpartum Depression

ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence of symptoms of postpartum depression (PPD) and examine how fathers’ presence and involvement in the care of their newborns affect symptoms of PPD within the first 2 weeks after birth among mothers with newborns in the NICU. DesignObservational cohort study. SettingOpen-bay, 40-bed, tertiary level NICU in Eastern Canada. ParticipantsMothers (N = 105) of newborns who were anticipated to survive and required more than 5 days of hospitalization in the NICU. MethodsParticipants completed the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS) 14 days after they gave birth. They kept daily diaries to record the amount of time that fathers spent by the newborns’ bedsides (i.e., presence) and actively caring for their newborns (i.e., involvement such as skin to skin). Participants completed daily diaries from the time of enrollment in the study until their newborns were discharged home. We analyzed the data using linear regression; score on the PDSS was the dependent variable, and fathers’ presence and involvement were the independent variables. We adjusted for covariates. ResultsThe prevalence of positive screening for symptoms of major PPD was 24.1% (n = 20), and the prevalence of significant symptoms of PPD was 27.7% (n = 23). Participants reported that fathers were present in the NICU an average of 3.8 hours per day and were actively involved with their newborns 53% of the time. Fathers’ involvement was significantly associated with lower scores on the PDSS (adjusted β = −3.85; 95% confidence interval [CI] [−6.10, −1.60]). A history of anxiety was significantly associated with greater scores on the PDSS (adjusted β = 12.06, 95% CI [2.07, 22.05]). Maternal age and income less than $50,000 CAD were marginally associated with greater scores on the PDSS (adjusted β = −0.86, 95% CI [−1.77, 0.05] and adjusted β = 10.69, 95% CI [−0.73, 22.11], respectively). The overall explained variance in the PDSS scores with the independent variables was R2 = 0.35. ConclusionFathers’ involvement in the care of their newborns in the NICU was significantly associated with fewer symptoms of PPD among mothers. We recommend research with targeted interventions to promote fathers’ involvement in the NICU to potentially mitigate the symptoms of PPD among mothers of newborns in the NICU.

Postpartum Depression and the Role of Midwives in Its Early Detection

Transition to being a parent is a stress-producing process that involves adapting both parents and their families even in the most favorable circumstances. Information on the level of psychological adaptation of women and family before and during pregnancy is very important as anxiety and the effects of accumulated life stress can directly affect individual and family well-being in the postnatal period. Especially for women or families facing multiple stresses and limited resources, ensuring security, understanding, compassion and direction may have a significant positive effect during this phase. A sample of 91 women immediately after birth at the Obstetrics-Gynecology Clinic (KOGJ) at the University Clinical Center of Kosovo (UCCK) completed two self-administered questionnaires. Initially, literature on postpartum depression was investigated. Two instruments for this paper have been selected from the range of instruments available for postnatal depression research literature: Patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS). The introduction and analysis of data is done with the Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS), Version 21 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences—SPSS). Failure or frustration and sleep problems are the highest mean postnatal depression indicators 1.8. Then there is fatigue or lack of energy, increased appetite or anorexia and suicidal thoughts and self-esteem with a mean attendance of 1.7 in the post-depression indicator group. Depression or loss of hope and dissatisfaction or interest in activities are in the group of indicators with an average of 1.6. Movement or speech problems and concentration problems are the least affected indicators in the post-depression indicator group, with only 1.5. Our statistics show a relatively high level of postpartum depression, which includes women of all categories without taking into account the economic situation, the level of education or the number of births, the results derived from the correlation analysis which is non-aligning during the comparison of these categories. Involvement of nurses/midwives at a time setting of this phenomenon is a necessity for which to invest?

Factor Analysis of the Prediction of the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale.

Postpartum depression (PPD), a severe form of clinical depression, is a serious social problem. Fortunately, most women with PPD are likely to recover if the symptoms are recognized and treated promptly. We designed two test data and six classifiers based on 586 questionnaires collected from a county in North Carolina from 2002 to 2005. We used the C4.5 decision tree (DT) algorithm to form decision trees to predict the degree of PPD. Our study established the roles of attributes of the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS), and devised the rules for classifying PPD using factor analysis based on the participants’ scores on the PDSS questionnaires. The six classifiers discard the use of PDSS Total and Short Total and make extensive use of demographic attributes contained in the PDSS questionnaires. Our research provided some insightful results. When using the short form to detect PPD, demographic information can be instructive. An analysis of the decision trees established the preferred sequence of attributes of the short form of PDSS. The most important attribute set was determined, which should make PPD prediction more efficient. Our research hopes to improve early recognition of PPD, especially when information or time is limited, and help mothers obtain timely professional medical diagnosis and follow-up treatments to minimize the harm to families and societies.

The effects of early postpartum depression on infant temperament

ABSTRACT Research linking postpartum depression (PPD) with negative child outcomes has predominantly examined PPD at six weeks postpartum or later, and has not controlled for depression during pregnancy. The present study examined associations between PPD at three weeks postpartum and temperament in 6-month-old infants in a sample of women who were not depressed during pregnancy. Depression was assessed at three weeks and six months postpartum using the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS). Observed and maternal report of infant temperament was assessed when infants were 6-months-old. PPD symptoms significantly predicted observed temperament behaviour and explained maternal report of infant temperament. Symptoms of PPD at three weeks postpartum were a stronger predictor than at six months. Findings suggest that early depressive symptoms may be particularly problematic, and have implications for early assessment and treatment of PPD even in women who were not depressed during pregnancy or are otherwise considered low risk.