Anokye, R., Acheampong, E., Budu-Ainooson, A., Obeng, E. I., & Akwasi, A. G. (2018). Prevalence of postpartum depression and interventions utilized for its management. Annals of General Psychiatry, 17(1). Web.
The purpose of this research was to assess the level of postpartum depression seen in a Ghanaian health care setting and the methods used to treat it. The research employed a quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study design. Mothers and those working in healthcare made up the bulk of the study’s participants. Two hundred and fifty-seven mothers were chosen using a simple random selection approach, and fifty-six health workers were chosen using a convenience sampling technique. Primary data on therapies for the management of postpartum depression were collected using a structured questionnaire consisting of closed-ended questions and a Patient Health Questionnaire for screening of depression. Seven percent of the sampled women suffered from postpartum depression. There was a continuum of mild to severe depressive symptoms. When it comes to alleviating patients’ signs of depression, psychosocial support has been shown to be the most beneficial intervention. It provides general background on the topic and could be used to strengthen the argument on prevalence and effective treatment.
Gisseman, J., Fletcher, T., Schmolze, A., Cooper, D., Aden, J., & Cox-Bauer, C. (2021). Depression screening during pregnancy: Compliance and effectiveness in a military population. Military Medicine, 186(9-10). Web.
The goal of this research was to determine the frequency and efficiency of screenings performed at a large military medical hospital. Prior to starting the trial, permission was granted by an institutional review board (IRB). At the institution where this study was conducted, all patients are required to undergo a depression screening using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) during the first obstetric visit, the 28-week visit, and the postpartum visit. On average, patients scored 3.8 out of 5 on the EPDS during their initial consultation, with 96% of those who took the survey doing so.
While screening rates throughout the first trimester are high, there is room for improvement in those observed at 28 weeks and after delivery. A possible solution to the low screening rates is to standardize the screening processes used in clinics. It is important to keep a careful eye on Veterans Affairs patients and their daughters since they are at an elevated risk than typical case for depression. This research shows that routine screening for postpartum depression should be a standard procedure in any obstetric care setting.
Guo, X., Guo, X., Wang, R., & Zhang, Y. (2022). Effects of perinatal cognitive behavioral therapy on Delivery Mode, fetal outcome, and postpartum depression and anxiety in women. Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine, 2022, 1–8. Web.
The goal of this study is to investigate the impact of perinatal cognitive-behavioral treatment on women’s mental health during and after pregnancy, including the method of delivery, the health of the baby, and the severity of postpartum depression and anxiety. Eighty-eight pregnant women who were treated at our hospital between May 2020 and May 2021 had their medical records reviewed retrospectively and divided into two groups: those who received cognitive behavioral therapy during pregnancy and those who did not.
Pregnant women in the cognitive behavioral intervention group reported considerably less anxiety after the session compared to the control group. After the intervention, pregnant women in the cognitive behavioral intervention group had significantly higher positive cooperation scores and significantly lower negative cooperation scores compared to women in the control group. Comparing the two groups, the cognitive behavioral intervention group had a much greater incidence of spontaneous delivery and significantly lower VAS score and blood loss. Cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to reduce the negative physiological and psychological reactions of pregnant women with perinatal anxiety disorder. It can be traced from the increased likelihood of a natural delivery and the recovery time after surgery, lower the risk of neonatal asphyxia, and overall improvement in perinatal safety. This research demonstrates the benefits of employing cognitive behavioral therapy as a treatment and screening method.
Inekwe, J. N., & Lee, E. (2022). Perceived social support on postpartum mental health: an instrumental variable analysis. PLOS ONE, 17(5). Web.
This research argues that there is still a lack of data showing how social support actually helps mothers’ mental health after giving birth. In this research, a nationally representative panel data sample of women was employed to investigate the relationship between maternal mental health and their perception of social support in the postpartum period. To take prenatal mental health history into account, researchers utilized a fixed-effects model with lagged dependent variables.
To account for endogeneity, the researchers adopted an instrumental variable strategy. From 2002 to 2018, they observed a downward trend in postpartum mental health indicators. Authors also found that pre-pregnancy mental health is favorably associated with postpartum mental health. This article provides essential knowledge of the relevant trends and research data that could be used to introduce the topic.
Kariuki, E. W., Kuria, M. W., Were, F. N., & Ndetei, D. M. (2020). Effectiveness of a brief psychoeducational intervention on postnatal depression in the slums, Nairobi: A longitudinal study. Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 24(3), 503–511. Web.
This research could be used as a supporting argument for the necessity of intervention and effectiveness of psychoeducation on PN and coping skills against postpartum depression (PPD). The prevalence of PPD is greater in poor and middle-income nations than in high-income ones, according to studies. Despite this, information on effective interventions in these low-income nations is limited. This study looked at the effects of a short psychoeducational intervention in a low-income area of Nairobi. There were two MCH clinics in Nairobi’s urban slums that were chosen at random, and they were both quite similar to one another. The research population consisted of 567 mother-to-mother participants. Psychoeducation on PND, coping skills, healthy ways of interacting with one’s kid, and newborn stimulation were all part of the intervention that 284 women in the experimental group got; 283 mothers in the control group received standard care. At the outset, researchers asked participants to fill out a socio-demographic questionnaire and the English translation of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).
The authors reevaluated both groups on the BDI after six months. When comparing the two groups , those in the experimental group had a 35.6% drop in depression whereas those in the control group only had a 2.3% decrease. At the study’s conclusion, the average BDI depression score in the treatment group was considerably lower than in the control group (p = 0.025). Decreases in participants’ BDI depression scores were substantially related to the intervention after controlling for confounding factors using a generalized linear model (p = 0.040). Even in low-resource settings, PND might be mitigated via a brief psychoeducational intervention for the mother and her newborn. As a result, it may be included into preexisting maternal and child health programs.
Learman, L. A. (2018). Screening for depression in pregnancy and the postpartum period. Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology, 61(3), 525–532. Web.
Pregnancy and postpartum depression are prevalent, taxing, and often unrecognized mental health conditions. Multiple organizations’ guidelines recommend screening at least twice: once during pregnancy and once in the postpartum period. Pregnant and postpartum women can benefit from the use of a number of approved patient surveys.
Overcoming patient, physician, and system hurdles, universal screening programs can effectively lessen the illness burden. Postpartum screening in pediatric settings and the use of electronic screening to protect confidentiality while streamlining data collection and analysis are two examples of innovative methods. This research could be used for the analysis of the depression screening process for future mothers. It argues for the universal screening as a top goal for intervention and policy making.
Noda, M., Sato, Y., Suetsugu, Y., & Morokuma, S. (2022). Interoception is associated with anxiety and depression in pregnant women: A pilot study. PLOS ONE, 17(5). Web.
Women go through significant psychological and social changes throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period. The stress of becoming a mother, however, can lead to the development of mood disorders including anxiety and depression. An increasing amount of focus has been placed on interoception studies in recent years. This process refers to the awareness of one’s own internal physiological condition. Many different features contribute to interoception. It requires not just direct bodily perception but also inference and evaluation of such perception. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between interoception, anxiety, and depression among Japanese expectant mothers.
A total of 32 healthy pregnant women who were not at high risk for complications were tested for interoception using both empirical tests and questionnaires. Both interoceptive sensitivity (through a Japanese adaptation of the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness) and interoceptive accuracy (by performance on a heartbeat counting task) were assessed. State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale Japanese translations were used to assess levels of anxiety and depression. Differences in the sensitivity and accuracy of interoception, anxiety, and depression were analyzed, along with their association with one another. The researchers found that anxiety was connected to both variations in interoceptive sensitivity and accuracy. This preliminary research suggests that long-term studies are needed to determine if interoception might serve as a reliable prediction tool for the early detection of anxiety throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Premji, S., McDonald, S. W., Metcalfe, A., Faris, P., Quan, H., Tough, S., & McNeil, D. A. (2019). Examining postpartum depression screening effectiveness in well child clinics in Alberta, Canada: A study using the all our families cohort and administrative data. Preventive Medicine Reports, 14, 100888. Web.
The purpose of this study was to compare the screening success rate of high-risk postpartum women to that of low-risk women throughout the course of the first postpartum year. Public health, inpatient, outpatient, physician claims, and community pharmacy data were connected to the All Our Families prospective pregnancy cohort throughout the first year postpartum. Differences in sample characteristics and PPD and non-PPD related use were analyzed using descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis.
Both simple and complex logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for PPD diagnosis and psychiatric medication dispensing. Only 3% of the people in our study had a high-risk score after being examined, while the remaining 87% were all screened. Screening high-risk women increased the likelihood that PPD would be diagnosed, but screening low- and moderate-risk women decreased the likelihood of a PPD diagnosis. When compared to women who were not evaluated, high-risk women were more likely to receive a diagnosis, use services related to PPD, and receive prescription medications. Consequently, this research’s results could be used as a counterargument for recommendation of the universal screening process introduction.
Shuffrey, L. C., Thomason, M. E., & Brito, N. H. (2022). Improving perinatal maternal mental health starts with addressing structural inequities. JAMA Psychiatry, 79(5), 387. Web.
COVID-19 has enhanced prenatal psychological discomfort. A comprehensive assessment of 81 studies revealed depression and anxiety prevalence ranging from 20% to 64%. A major cross-sectional study of primarily US women substantiated these results, indicating clinical depression in 36% of perinatal women compared to 11% to 17% prepandemic. Changes in prenatal care and labor, particularly a lack of assistance during delivery and recovery, may increase discomfort.
Women who gave birth during the covid outbreak showed a higher acute stress reaction to delivery, associated with PTSD symptoms and mother bonding or breastfeeding issues. In this Viewpoint, the researchers discuss the effects of perinatal mother mental health on child development and structural disparities that must be addressed to reduce maternal psychological distress and enhance maternal and child health. This research provides data on the recent practical trends that need to be addressed and can be used as a precaution towards the future research directions.
Thomas, D. A. (2020). Postpartum depression. Indian Research Journal of Pharmacy and Science, 7(4), 2359–2372. Web.
This research focuses on the analysis of negative effects of PPD. The author argues that it is possible the patient may experience hallucinations or thoughts of suicide, leading them to make an attempt at ending their own life. Negative effects on child development, mother-infant attachment, and future anxiety or depression symptoms in babies have been linked to untreated maternal depression.
Postpartum depression treatment is an essential component of standard medical therapy. Screening for and managing postpartum depression are critical tasks for both the obstetrician and the pediatrician. The findings could be used to strengthen the argument of the research in the issue of postpartum depression screening.