An international study exploring levels of postpartum depressive symptomatology

• Published in: Journal of psychosomatic research Vol. 49; no. 3; pp. 207 - 216
• Main Authors: Affonso, Dyanne D., De, Anindya K., Horowitz, June Andrews, Mayberry, Linda J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01.09.2000; New York, NY Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Africa - epidemiology; Asia - epidemiology; Australia - epidemiology; BDI; Biological and medical sciences; Cross-Cultural Comparison; Crossnational studies; Cultural Characteristics; Depression; Depression, Postpartum - epidemiology; Depression, Postpartum - ethnology; Depression, Postpartum - psychology; EPDS; Europe - epidemiology; Female; Guyana - epidemiology; Humans; International comparative study; Medical sciences; Mood disorders; Postnatal depression; Postpartum depression; Predictive Value of Tests; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; United States - epidemiology; South America; United States; Europe; North America; Oceania; India; Sweden; Asia; America; Finland; Taiwan; Guyana; Italy; Australia; Korea; Africa; International comparative study; EPDS; Postpartum depression; BDI; Mood disorder; Social environment; Human; Crosscultural study; Prevalence; Mental health; Depression; Puerperium; Epidemiology; Symptomatology; Cultural environment; Female; Comparative study; Public health
• ISSN: 0022-3999; 1879-1360
• DOI: 10.1016/S0022-3999(00)00176-8

Objective: Differences in postpartum depressive symptomatology (PPDS) among an international sample of 892 women from nine countries representing five continents were explored. Method: Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were used to assess PPDS among a convenience sample that completed the two questionnaires twice, yielding a total of four sets of scores per subject. Women sampled were primiparae with no obstetrical complications, and had a healthy baby. Depression history and therapy were ruled out as exclusion criteria. Results: Mean scores for EPDS and BDI varied across sites at both time points ( P value<.001). European and Australian women had the lowest levels of PPDS, USA women fell at the midpoint, and women from Asia and South America had the highest depressive symptom scores. The moderate concordance between the EPDS and BDI suggested that the measures have complementary uses for screening and assessment. Conclusion: Utility of EPDS and BDI for yielding profiles of postpartum women's depressive symptomatology was demonstrated. Further research to validate depressive symptom measures with diverse international populations is indicated.