The behavior over time of postnatal depression symptomatology and its early detection via the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale: An Italian longitudinal study

  • Authors

    • Maria Caterina Cattaneo Consultorio Familiare Accreditato ASL“Genitori Oggi”-CAV Mangiagalli, Milan, Italy.Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda- Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
    • Sara Roveraro Consultorio Familiare Accreditato ASL“Genitori Oggi”-CAV Mangiagalli, Milan, Italy.Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda- Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
    • Valentina Chiorino Consultorio Familiare Accreditato ASL“Genitori Oggi”-CAV Mangiagalli, Milan, Italy.Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda- Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
    • Elena Alessandra Macchi Consultorio Familiare Accreditato ASL“Genitori Oggi”-CAV Mangiagalli, Milan, Italy.Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda- Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
    • Roberta Salerno Consultorio Familiare Accreditato ASL“Genitori Oggi”-CAV Mangiagalli, Milan, Italy.Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda- Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
    • Monica Gatti Department of Psychology Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore – Milan, Italy.
    • Laura Arcaro Consultorio Familiare Accreditato ASL“Genitori Oggi”-CAV Mangiagalli, Milan, Italy.Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda- Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
    • Francesco Barretta Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan. Epidemiology Unit, Department of Preventive Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda- Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
    • Camilla Barbara Fontana NICU, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda - Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
    • Lorenzo Colombo NICU, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda - Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
    • Piero Giorgio Rossi Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda- Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
    • Fabio Mosca NICU, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda - Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
    2015-02-24
    https://doi.org/10.14419/ijans.v4i1.3931
  • EPDS, Maternal Depressive Symptoms, Postnatal Depression, Postpartum Depression Symptomatology, Screening

  • Abstract

    Background: Becoming a mother for the first time is a significant developmental transition and postpartum mood disorders represents the most frequent form of maternal morbidity following delivery.

    Objective: To investigate the ability of Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) to detect, in the first days postpartum, mothers at risk of developing depressive symptomatology over time.

    Results: The percentage of mothers with an EPDS score ≥10 decreases over time: 23.77% at 2/5 days postpartum, 15.57% at 2 months and 9.02% at 6 months after delivery. Among mothers with a depressive symptomatology after 2/5 days postpartum, 41.38% maintained an EPDS score ≥10 at 2 months too, while 20.69% of them manifested depressive symptoms at 6 months as well. Both correlation and linear regression showed a significant association between EPDS scores in all three administrations of the study but EPDS score at 2/5 days postpartum is more associated and predictive to maternal mood at two months than at six months postpartum.

    Method: A longitudinal study was conducting on 122 primiparous mothers who filled out EPDS and a General Information Questionnaire at 2/5 days postpartum, at 2/3 and 6/7 months after delivery. Women with high EPDS scores (≥10) were compared to those who had scored <10 in all the three steps and longitudinal analysis were conducted.

    Conclusion: Implementing EPDS in the first week postpartum allows identifying women at high risk to maintain depressive symptoms over time. These findings could be useful for health care interventions after delivery and for researchers involved in the study of transcultural aspects of postnatal depression.

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  • How to Cite

    Cattaneo, M. C., Roveraro, S., Chiorino, V., Macchi, E. A., Salerno, R., Gatti, M., Arcaro, L., Barretta, F., Fontana, C. B., Colombo, L., Rossi, P. G., & Mosca, F. (2015). The behavior over time of postnatal depression symptomatology and its early detection via the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale: An Italian longitudinal study. International Journal of Advanced Nursing Studies, 4(1), 23-29. https://doi.org/10.14419/ijans.v4i1.3931

    Received date: 2014-11-25

    Accepted date: 2015-02-05

    Published date: 2015-02-24