Ambulatory Pediatrics
Volume 6, Issue 4 , Pages 221-224, 1 July 2006

Changes in Maternal Depressive Symptoms Across the Postpartum Year at Well Child Care Visits

Presented in part at 2nd World Congress on Women’s Mental Health, March 2004, Washington, DC; and the annual meeting of the North American Society for Psychosocial Obstetrics and Gynecology, Coronado, CA, February 2005.

  • Linda H. Chaudron, MD, MS

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, NY
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence to Linda H. Chaudron, MD, MS, Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and OB/GYN, Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine, 300 Crittenden Blvd, Rochester, NY 14642.
    • ,
  • Harriet J. Kitzman, RN, PhD

      Affiliations

    • University of Rochester School of Nursing, Rochester, NY
    • ,
  • Peter G. Szilagyi, MD, MPH

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, NY
    • ,
  • Kimberly Sidora-Arcoleo, MPH

      Affiliations

    • University of Rochester School of Nursing, Rochester, NY
    • ,
  • Elizabeth Anson, BA

      Affiliations

    • University of Rochester School of Nursing, Rochester, NY

Received 18 October 2005; accepted 6 April 2005.

Objective

To describe the incidence, continuation, and resolution of symptoms during the postpartum year in urban women experiencing high depressive symptom levels at one or more well child care visits.

Methods

As part of a prior study of postpartum depressive symptoms, demographic data and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) were systematically collected from pediatric records of a clinic that routinely screens mothers with the EPDS at each first-year well child care visit. To explore the course of depressive symptoms throughout the postpartum year in this pilot study, we included only data from the records that had at least one EPDS ≥10 (N = 100), a score indicating a high likelihood for clinically significant depressive symptoms.

Results

Among 49 women who completed the EPDS at least once before 3 months and between 3 and 11 months postpartum, 33% had high symptom levels throughout the year, 41% improved after the first 3 months, and 26% developed high symptom levels after the first 3 months.

Conclusions

Postpartum depressive symptoms persist in many women throughout the postpartum year. Routine screening throughout the year might better identify both a subgroup of women who develop new symptoms during the year, as well as the women whose symptoms persist.

Key words:  maternal depression , postpartum depression , screening

To access this article, please choose from the options below

Login to an existing account or Register a new account.

  • Purchase this article for 31.50 USD (You must login/register to purchase this article)

    Online access for 24 hours. The PDF version can be downloaded as your permanent record.

  • Subscribe to this title

    Get unlimited online access to this article and all other articles in this title 24/7 for one year.

  • Claim access now

    For current subscribers with Society Membership or Account Number.

  • Visit SciVerse ScienceDirect to see if you have access via your institution.
 

PII: S1530-1567(06)00118-3

doi:10.1016/j.ambp.2006.04.003

Ambulatory Pediatrics
Volume 6, Issue 4 , Pages 221-224, 1 July 2006

Article Tools