Postpartum blue is common in socially and economically insecure mothers

A survey was carried out among mothers within 2 weeks of delivery at a referral hospital in Bangalore after obtaining the approval from hospital authorities and ethical committee. Mothers within 2 weeks of delivery and in good health were included from the maternity ward and from outpatient department after obtaining the written consent. Women with debilitating illness, disabling mental disorders, alcohol dependence, and narcotic drug dependence were excluded from the study. Based on ICH-GCP guidelines, 130 subjects in the age group of 18–45 years were randomly screened.Two questionnaires were used in this study. Subjects were encouraged to complete the questionnaires on their own with minimum assistance to avoid bias. First questionnaire was the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), used to diagnose the PPB. The EPDS included 10 questions and each one is valued on a four-point scale with maximum possible score of 30.