Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-31T15:19:47.325Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Demographic and Obstetric Risk Factors for Postnatal Psychiatric Morbidity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Rachel Warner ,
Louis Appleby ,
Anna Whitton  and
Brian Faragher
Rachel Warner
Affiliation:
University of Manchester
Louis Appleby*
Affiliation:
University of Manchester
Anna Whitton
Affiliation:
University of Manchester
Brian Faragher
Affiliation:
University of Manchester
*
Louis Appleby, School of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, University of Manchester, Withington Hospital, Nell Lane, Manchester, M20 8LR
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

Postnatal depression follows 10% of live births but there is little consensus on the risk factors associated with its development. Previous smaller studies have been unable to quantify the impact of independent risk factors as relative and attributable risks.

Method

The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to screen a systematic sample of 2375 women, six to eight weeks after delivery. Information on socio-demographic and obstetric variables was collected at the screening interview. The risk factors associated with high EPDS scores (>12) were determined and entered stepwise into a regression model.

Results

Four independent variables were found to be associated with an EPDS score above this threshold. These were an unplanned pregnancy (OR 1.44); not breast-feeding (OR 1.52), and unemployment in either the mother, i.e. no job to return to following maternity leave (OR 1.56), or the head of household (OR 1.50). These four variables appeared to explain the risk associated with other risk factors.

Conclusions

Although a direct aetiological role for these risk factors is not certain, they may indicate strategies for the prevention of affective morbidity in postnatal women. These may include reducing unwanted pregnancy and employment for women after childbirth.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 168 , Issue 5 , May 1996 , pp. 607 - 611
Copyright
Copyright © 1996 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alder, E. M. & Cox, J. L. (1983) Breast feeding and postnatal depression. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 27, 139–144.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brown, G. W. & Harris, T. (1978) Social Origins of Depression. A Study of Psychiatric Disorder in Women. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Cogill, S. R., Caplan, H. L., Alexandra, H., et al (1986) Impact of maternal postnatal depression on cognitive development of young children. British Medical Journal, 292, 1165–1167.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cooper, P. J., Campbell, E. A., Day, A., et al (1988) Non psychotic psychiatric disorder after childbirth. A prospective study of prevalence, incidence, course and nature. British Journal of Psychiatry, 152, 799–806.Google Scholar
Cox, J. L., Connor, Y. & Kendell, R. E. (1982) Prospective study of the psychiatric disorders of childbirth. British Journal of Psychiatry, 140, 111–117.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cox, J. L., Holden, J. M. & Sagovsky, R. (1987) Detection of postnatal depression: development of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. British Journal of Psychiatry, 150, 782–786.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cox, J. L., Murray, D. & Chapman, G. (1993) A controlled study of the onset, duration and prevalence of postnatal depression. British Journal of Psychiatry, 163, 27–31.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cutrona, C. E. (1983) Causal attributions and postnatal depression. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 92, 161–172.Google Scholar
Elias, P. (1993) Computer Assisted Standard Occupational Coding. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Hannah, P., Adams, D., Lee, A., et al (1992) Links between early post-partum mood and postnatal depression. British Journal of Psychiatry, 160, 777–780.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kumar, R. & Robson, K. M. (1984) A prospective study of emotional disorders in childbearing women. British Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 35–47.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Murray, L. (1989) The Cambridge study of postnatal depression and infant development. In Childbirth as a Life Event (eds Cox, J. L., Paykel, E. S. & Page, M. L.), pp. 23–38. Southampton: Duphar Medical Publications.Google Scholar
Murray, L. (1992) The impact of postnatal depression on infant development. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 33, 543–561.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Murray, L. & Carothers, A. D. (1990) The validation of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale on a community sample. British Journal of Psychiatry, 157, 288–290.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nott, P. N. (1987) Extent, timing and persistence of emotional disorders following childbirth. British Journal of Psychiatry, 151, 523–527.Google Scholar
O'Hara, M. W., Neunaber, D. J. & Zekoski, E. M. (1984) A prospective study of postnatal depression: prevalence, course and predictive factors. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 93, 158–171.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (1994) Birth Statistics, 1992. HMSO: London.Google Scholar
Paykel, E. S., Emms, E., Fletcher, J., et al (1980) Life events and social support in puerperal depression. British Journal of Psychiatry, 136, 339–346.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Phillips, L. H. C. & O'Hara, M. W. (1991) Prospective study of postpartum depression: four and a half year follow-up of women and children. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100, 151–155.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pitt, B. (1968) “Atypical” depression following childbirth. British Journal of Psychiatry, 114, 1325–1335.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Watson, J. P., Eluot, S. A., Rugg, A. J., et al (1984) Psychiatric disorder in pregnancy and the first postnatal year. British Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 453–462.Google Scholar
Wrate, R. M., Rooney, A. C., Thomas, P. F., et al (1985) Postnatal depression and child development: a three year follow up study. British Journal of Psychiatry, 146, 622–627.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.