An international study exploring levels of postpartum depressive symptomatology.
OBJECTIVE
Differences in postpartum depressive symptomatology (PPDS) among an international sample of 892 women from nine countries representing five continents were explored.


METHODS
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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Affonso
D D
DD
College of Nursing, 985330 Nebraska Medical Center, University of Nebraska, Omaha 68198-5330, USA. daffonso@unmc.edu
De
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Horowitz
J A
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Mayberry
L J
LJ
D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D001208:Asia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006172:Guyana / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology