Cohort study of depressive moods in Thai women during late pregnancy and 6-8 weeks of postpartum using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS).

OBJECTIVE: To identify depressive moods as measured by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale in late pregnancy and postpartum, explore associated factors and assess changes in depressive moods.
METHODS: A cohort study of 610 pregnant Thai women was conducted. The self-reporting EPDS was completed at 36-40 weeks and at 6-8 weeks postpartum. RESULT: The prevalence of depressive moods (scores of 10 or more on the EPDS) was 20.5% during pregnancy and 16.8% at postpartum. Factors related to depressive moods in late pregnancy included marital status, evidence of irritable moods before menstruation, and attitudes towards this pregnancy. Unmarried women, women having irritable moods before menstruation or women having negative attitudes towards this pregnancy had double risk. Related factors during the postpartum period included religion, evidence of irritable moods before menstruation, perception of pregnancy complications and attitudes towards this pregnancy (p < 0.01). Women who perceived of having complications during this pregnancy, those who had irritable moods before menstruation or had negative attitudes towards this pregnancy had also double risk. The depressive moods were significantly reduced postnatally.
CONCLUSION: One-fifth of pregnant and postpartum women experienced depressive moods but the severity declined at postpartum.