Postpartum Depression During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Associated Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: To study the prevalence of maternal depressive symptoms in the immediate postpartum period (<7 days postpartum) during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify associated factors. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analytical study. The study population consisted of postpartum women >18 years old enrolled at the Municipal University Hospital of Sao Bernardo do Campo. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and a questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics and clinical history were administered to 90 patients in the first week of the immediate postpartum period between June and December 2021. Results: An Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score > 10 was observed in 39 (43.3%) of the postpartum women. From a multivariate analysis, the factors associated with a score > 10 on the scale were: "having no belief/spirituality" with 83% (95% CI 1.20-2.81, p<0.006), "having had more than one pregnancy" with 50% (95% CI 0.29-0.89, p<0.02), "having a previous episode of depression" with 64% (95% CI 1.02-2.65, p<0.04), and "having a previous episode of anxiety" with 83% (95% CI 1.06-3.16, p<0.03). The other factors studied did not have statistical significance. Conclusion: With the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in the prevalence of depressive symptoms in the immediate postpartum period was observed. The postpartum women who scored > 10 on the EPDS had the following common associated factors: "having no belief/spirituality", "having had more than one pregnancy", "having a previous episode of depression", and "having a previous episode of anxiety". These findings indicate the need for greater attention from health professionals to these positive factors.