Awareness about postpartum depression among women in Peshawar: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: Postpartum Depression (PPD) with devastating effects on mothers, infants, and families, is common in Pakistan, with prevalence of 28-63%, placing it among the highest in Asia. Most cases in Pakistan go unrecognized due to either lack of awareness or social impact issue.
Objective: To determine awareness of postpartum depression among postnatal women coming to a tertiary care hospital of Peshawar.
Materials & Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Gynecology / Obstetrics and Pediatrics Outpatients Department, Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar from January to June 2019, on 150 postnatal women selected by convenience sampling. Demographic profile of participants, and awareness regarding postpartum depression were recorded by an indigenously developed, pretested, and translated questionnaire. Microsoft Excel & SPSS version 23 was used for organizing and analyzing data for descriptive statistics.
Results: Majority, 90(60%) of postnatal women were aware of postpartum depression, and 52% had experienced PPD previously. No formal education on this subject was given to them, hence their beliefs about this phenomenon were vague; 26.7% women agreed that they would not share their feelings of depression with anyone because of guilt / shame, whereas 67% women would not disclose their emotional experiences because such mothers were thought to be a liability for a family in our society. Among the 90 aware women, 71(78.9%) were willing to seek treatment for this problem.
Conclusion: Despite its high prevalence, there are no formal educational or awareness programs for postpartum depression in our society. The beliefs of women regarding this phenomenon are vague and they are reluctant to share their mental and emotional problems with their families.