title: [Characterization of depressed mothers in the postpartum].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Postpartum depression (PPD) is a mood disorder that occurs during a specific period of womens lifetime: puerperium. The prevalence of PPD ranges from 8% to 30%, and a three-fold increase is seen in emerging as compared to developed countries.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To characterize women consulting in primary care facilities for PPD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Social and demographic features, obstetrical history, clinical symptoms and puerperal care of 440 postpartum women that sought help in primary care and were diagnosed as depressed, are described.
  
  
  RESULTS
  These women had no paid employment (82.7%), had unplanned pregnancies (62.5%) and lacked adequate social support (59.4%). From the clinical viewpoint, most of these puerperal women had a family history of depression (64.2%) and 31% had suffered from previous depressive episodes. The clinical symptoms of these patients consisted of depressed mood (93.2%), anhedonia (87.9%) and fatigue (87%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women depressed postpartum form a group that requires more clinical attention due to its great biological vulnerability, active depressive symptoms, and enormous psychosocial risk. The mother and child program, which benefits them, needs to be combined with a mental health component that can offer them a treatment adapted to their psychosocial context.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Psiquiatría y Salud Mental, Hospital Clínico, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile. grojas@redclinicauchile.cl
authors.forename: Graciela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rojas
authors.forename: Rosemarie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fritsch
authors.forename: Viviana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Guajardo
authors.forename: Felipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rojas
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barroilhet
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jadresic
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D018743:Perinatal Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017584:Reproductive History; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult