Background: The stress of giving birth, the quick changes in the body's systems, and the duty of child raising are the main factors contributing to postpartum depression(PPD), a multifactorial condition. Developed by Cox for use in the puerperium and during pregnancy, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale(EPDS) is a screening tool for postpartum depression. Aim and objectives: Using the EPDS as a screening tool for PPD, this study aims to examine the prevalence and risk factors among women giving birth at the University Hospital of the Egyptian Tertiary Care System. Patients and methods: From October 2023 through October 2024, two thousand individuals who had vaginal or cesarean deliveries and were followed up on were included in this observational cross-sectional study. An initial translated version of the EPDS and a second subset of obstetrical and related psychosocial components were administered to all patients. Results: In the whole studied population, the depressed mothers were 341 mothers (17%), while the non-depressed mothers were 1659 mothers(83%). The mothers who suffered from depression were categorized as follows: 160(or 8%) were moderately depressed, scoring 10–12 on the Edinburgh Post-Depression Scale(EPDS), and 181(or 9%) were severely depressed, scoring 13 or higher. Regarding the presence of personal mental history, 80% of women were depressed while 20% non-depressed(p=0.016). Regarding the presence of family mental history, 50% of women were depressed, while 50% of them were non-depressed, p=0.135. Conclusion: Comprehensive screening and intervention programs that are culturally sensitive are necessary because the results show that biological, psychological, and social factors all interact in a complex way to cause PPD.
Alnabawy et al. (Sat,) studied this question.