Clinical and psychopathological structure of depressive disorders in women against the background of postpartum inflammatory complications

The postpartum period is a sensitive time when mothers are subjected to increased risks of mental disorders. Aim: to study the structure of anxiety and depressive disorders in women against the background of the early postpartum complications. Material and methods. 150 patients, who underwent inpatient treatment at the Scientific Research Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baku, were selected for the study and divided into two groups: the main group - with postpartum complications (n = 100), the comparison group — with physiological postpartum period (n = 50). The average age was 29.9 ± 0.64 and 30.3 ± 0.86 years. All patients underwent a comprehensive examination using anamnestic data and the Hamilton Scale to assess the severity of anxiety (HARS) and depression (HRDS). Results. According to etiology and pathogenesis, the studied pathology is multifactorial. Significant risk factors for the complicated course of puerperia are inflammatory diseases of the pelvic organs. Attention is drawn to the adverse effect on the health of women in the puerperal period, the high frequency of diseases of the upper respiratory tract and kidneys in the anamnesis. Diagnosed postpartum inflammatory complications may serve as a risk factor for the development of anxiety and depressive disorders in the postpartum period. The average indicators in women of the control group are within the normal range. A high level of clinical severity of symptomatic anxiety was observed in the main group (48.0 + 5.00% versus 8.0 + 3.84% in the control group, χ2 = 44.19; p < 0.0001), that is, early postpartum complications are a predictor of severe anxiety. Depression of an average degree was more often recorded with a complicated course of puerperia. Discussion. The presence of a burdened obstetric and gynecological anamnesis and extragenital pathology increases the risk of puerperal complications and the development of severe affective disorders. Changes in the emotional status affecting the anxious and depressive component were more often revealed in postpartum women with complications than in women with a physiological course of the postpartum period. Conclusions. Most of the anxiety-depressive conditions in the main group corresponded to moderate severity in the clinical and psychopathological study. Disorders of mild degree were observed more often in a physiologically proceeding postpartum period. When complications are detected, timely diagnosis and correction of anxiety and depressive disorders are necessary for easily women’s adaptation to the postpartum period.