Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Depressive symptoms in early pregnancy, two months and one year postpartum-prevalence and psychosocial risk factors in a national Swedish sample

Rubertsson, C. LU ; Wickberg, B. ; Gustavsson, P. and Rådestad, Ingela (2005) In Archives of Women's Mental Health 8(2). p.97-104
Abstract

Background: Depression and other psychiatric disorders during pregnancy and postpartum is an important health problem, especially if the symptoms are recurrent or sustained. Methods: All Swedish speaking women attending their first antenatal care visit during three predestined weeks were invited to participate. Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) in early pregnancy, two months and one year postpartum. Results: In all, 2430 women completed three questionnaires. A dose-effect relation was found between the numbers of stressful life events experienced in the year prior to pregnancy and mean EPDS score in pregnancy. The prevalence of recurrent or sustained depressive symptoms (EPDS ≥ 12... (More)

Background: Depression and other psychiatric disorders during pregnancy and postpartum is an important health problem, especially if the symptoms are recurrent or sustained. Methods: All Swedish speaking women attending their first antenatal care visit during three predestined weeks were invited to participate. Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) in early pregnancy, two months and one year postpartum. Results: In all, 2430 women completed three questionnaires. A dose-effect relation was found between the numbers of stressful life events experienced in the year prior to pregnancy and mean EPDS score in pregnancy. The prevalence of recurrent or sustained depressive symptoms (EPDS ≥ 12 on all three evaluations) was 3% (79/2430). Three factors were associated with depressive symptoms, two or more stressful life events in the year prior to pregnancy, native language other than Swedish and unemployment. Conclusions: Apart from questions about psychiatric history, a psychosocial history in early pregnancy including stressful life events, native language and employment status could help the health professionals to identify women at risk for recurrent or sustained depression during pregnancy and the year after giving birth.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
keywords
Depressive symptoms, EPDS, Postpartum depression, Risk factors, Stressful life events
in
Archives of Women's Mental Health
volume
8
issue
2
pages
8 pages
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:21144440462
  • pmid:15883652
ISSN
1434-1816
DOI
10.1007/s00737-005-0078-8
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
22ed11d9-91ce-436c-9a2c-2d11ecd379ae
date added to LUP
2017-10-27 14:12:50
date last changed
2024-04-14 20:37:35
@article{22ed11d9-91ce-436c-9a2c-2d11ecd379ae,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Depression and other psychiatric disorders during pregnancy and postpartum is an important health problem, especially if the symptoms are recurrent or sustained. Methods: All Swedish speaking women attending their first antenatal care visit during three predestined weeks were invited to participate. Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) in early pregnancy, two months and one year postpartum. Results: In all, 2430 women completed three questionnaires. A dose-effect relation was found between the numbers of stressful life events experienced in the year prior to pregnancy and mean EPDS score in pregnancy. The prevalence of recurrent or sustained depressive symptoms (EPDS ≥ 12 on all three evaluations) was 3% (79/2430). Three factors were associated with depressive symptoms, two or more stressful life events in the year prior to pregnancy, native language other than Swedish and unemployment. Conclusions: Apart from questions about psychiatric history, a psychosocial history in early pregnancy including stressful life events, native language and employment status could help the health professionals to identify women at risk for recurrent or sustained depression during pregnancy and the year after giving birth.</p>}},
  author       = {{Rubertsson, C. and Wickberg, B. and Gustavsson, P. and Rådestad, Ingela}},
  issn         = {{1434-1816}},
  keywords     = {{Depressive symptoms; EPDS; Postpartum depression; Risk factors; Stressful life events}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{97--104}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Archives of Women's Mental Health}},
  title        = {{Depressive symptoms in early pregnancy, two months and one year postpartum-prevalence and psychosocial risk factors in a national Swedish sample}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00737-005-0078-8}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00737-005-0078-8}},
  volume       = {{8}},
  year         = {{2005}},
}