SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES AND MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH IN A CONTEXT OF SOCIAL VULNERABILITY

Abstract

The current study investigated the relationship between sociodemographic factors, postpartum depression and minor psychiatric disorders in a sample of 60 mothers of three-month-old infants with social vulnerability profile from two communities in Salvador/Brazil. The mothers responded to a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Beck Depression Scale (BDI) and the Self-Report Questionnaire of Minor Psychiatric Disorders (SRQ-20). Some of the results supported the initial hypothesis that the greater the exposure to adverse social conditions, the greater the scores of psychiatric disorders. A negative correlation was found between maternal schooling and postpartum depression, and a positive correlation was found between the number of children and minor psychiatric disorders. Regression analysis confirmed the predictive power of the two variables. The study discusses the role of access to qualified education and family planning strategies as possible protective factors against the onset or worsening of symptoms of minor psychiatric disorders and depression in the postpartum period.