Identifying the risk factors for postpartum depression: importance of early diagnosis

Resumo

The research aimed to identify the risk factors that may contribute to post-partum depression (PPD) and identify the symptoms that can characterize it in the immediate puerperal period. This is a descriptive research with quantitative approach, conduc­ted between April and May 2008, with puerperas (n = 95) of a Reference Maternity Hospital of the city of Fortaleza. It was used as instruments of research: a form with socioeconomic and demographic information and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) for PPD evaluation. The prevalence of postpartum depression found was 24.2% (EPDS = 13). The findings suggest that low socioeconomic conditions may contribute to the development of PPD and, despite being an under diagnosed disease, the figures show high percentage of women who are susceptible to developing depression symptoms after giving birth.