title: Prevalence of postpartum depression in a native American population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Data were collected on postpartum depression from 151 women, ages 16-40 years who received postpartum health services from a rural obstetrical clinic in North Carolina between September 2002 and May 2003. Reflective of the racial and socio-economic makeup of the county, 60.9% of the sample were American Indian (Lumbee tribe) 25.8% were African American and 13.3% were Caucasian or other.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS) was utilized to explore the prevalence of postpartum depression requiring clinical intervention in a largely unexplored population, minority women.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of postpartum depression symptoms was over 23%, which is significantly higher than even the most liberal estimates in other populations. As with previous literature on risk factors, the sample demonstrates a strong association between symptoms of depression, history of depression and receiving treatment for depression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The PDSS proved to be a clinically useful tool in this setting. Findings support the importance of implementing routine screening protocols to guide practice and implement support services.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, Social Work, and Criminal Justice, University of North Carolina at Pembroke, P.O. Box 1510, Pembroke, North Carolina 28372, USA. Lisa.Baker@uncp.edu
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cross
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Greaver
authors.forename: Gou
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lewis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D008427:Maternal Health Services; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population