Evaluation of effective factors and its prevalence on postpartum depression among women in the city of Qom, Iran

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of factors affecting postpartum depression in women in the city of Qom, Iran. Materials and Methods: This study was a survey research. The research population included all women who were within 4 weeks postpartum and referred to health centers in Qom. The sample consisted of 120 subjects who were selected by convenience sampling method. Edinburgh Postnatal Depression was the research tool. Once collected, the data were extracted and analyzed using SPSS software and t test. Results: Based on the findings, the prevalence of depression among the studied population in Qom was 40.83%. Results showed that wanted or unwanted pregnancy has significant relation to depression while variables such as infants’ gender, the nulliparous or pluriparous and mode of delivery did not significantly affect postpartum depression. Conclusion: The results of the research showed that the rate of postpartum depression in the city of Qom is significantly higher than usual. In order to prevent the multiple consequences of the postpartum disorder in families and societies, active measures must be taken to put awareness- raising plans about the treatment of this disorder high on the agenda of health centers. It is also recommended to make strenuous efforts to hold workshops on the prevention of unwanted pregnancies which have made significant differences in this study.