EVIDENCE ON DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMATOLOGY IN THE IMMEDIATE POSTPARTUM PERIOD

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze the prevalence of depression symptoms and their associations with social, economic, behavioral, psychological and obstetric factors in the immediate postpartum period. Material and Methods: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive and probabilistic study with 204 puerperal women in the immediate postpartum, assisted in a public hospital in the city of Barra do Garças – MT, Brazil, from August 2015 to June 2016. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was assessed using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS), with a score of ≥ 10. The information was analyzed using the EPI-INFO® 7.1.5.0 program. The associations were done using Fisher’s Exact test; Odds Ratio, and a 5% significance level was adopted. Results: The sample consisted of puerperal women aged between 18 and 42 years, with a predominance of young women with an average of 25 years (± 5.32). In the multivariate analysis, the factors with significant association were as follows: alcohol consumption in the first three months of gestation (OR=1.99: IC95%=0.65-0.09), tobacco use (OR=10.80; IC95%=2.13-54.60), family members with mental illness (OR=4.34; IC95%=1.56-12.09), psychological and emotional violence (OR=2.57; IC95%= 1.04-6.36), mother-in-law interfering with baby care (OR=4.21; IC95%= 1.65-10.78) and housing type (OR=2.79; IC95%=1.13-6.87). Conclusions: The prevalence of depressive symptoms in the immediate postpartum period was considered high (24.51%). In addition, there is a strong indicative of association between depression postpartum symptoms and tobacco use, family member with mental illness, mother-in-law interfering with the newborn's care, living in a rented house, and suffering emotional/psychological violence. DESCRIPTORS: Mental Disorder. Depression Postpartum. Prevalence.