Puerperal depression risk assessment in new mothers hospitalized during COVID-19 lockdown measures

Abstract

Objective. International studies have found an increased risk of puerperal depression during COVID-19 pandemic. The present research aims to investigate the risk of puerperal depression within the obstetrics ward of Ospedale dell’Angelo (Venice Mestre), between March and June, 2020. Patients and Methods. 98 new mothers (average age: 33 y/o, SD: 5) were asked to complete the 10 item version of the EPDS, 2-3 days after delivery and again 3 months later. Results. The percentage of women with high score is 26.5%, less than what was found in 2016. The risk of puerperal depression does not change significantly 3 months after delivery. However, high scores on EPDS do not seem to be connected either to the type of birth or to the condition of primiparity of the mothers. Conclusions. Some hypotheses have been proposed to explain the results obtained, such as quality of the assistance offered and/or the compliance and the coping skills acquired by families, which could be evaluated in future research.