Relationship among postpartum depression screening, symptom severity and treatment rates

Resumen

Postpartum depression (PPD) prevalence is 10-15% and higher among vulnerable groups in the United States and internationally. Although PPD screening is becoming the norm, treatment rates remain low. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine treatment (i.e., medication and/or therapy) rates at 6 weeks and 3 months postpartum with encouragement from nurses for women with confirmed PPD and to examine rates in relation to symptom severity. Methods: descriptive design, over 5,000 women was screened for PPD and those meeting initial screening criteria completed confirmatory diagnostic interviews. Nurses encouraged and offered assistance to women with high symptom severity to obtain additional evaluation and treatment. Descriptive statistics and Chi square analyses were employed to examine treatment rates and rates by symptom severity. Results: Of the 134 enrolled women, 26.9% were receiving treatment at 6 weeks postpartum. At 3 months postpartum, 33.9% were receiving treatment. The increase in the proportion receiving treatment over time was not significant. However, at 6 weeks, symptom severity was associated with receiving treatment, but it was not at 3 months. Conclusions: Of importance, at both time points, a majority of women with high PPD symptom levels had not received treatment. Despite encouragement and offers of assistance, a majority did not obtain treatment, and rates did not increase significantly over time. Research is needed to decrease barriers and improve PPD treatment accessibility and availability. In addition, more knowledge about effective strategies to engage women in PPD treatment is needed.