1. Who do we miss when screening for postpartum depression? A population-based study in a Swedish region
- Author
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Emma Fransson, Natasa Kollia, Diem Nguyen, Caroline Lilliecreutz, Emma Bränn, Anna Wikman, and Alkistis Skalkidou
- Subjects
Postpartum depression ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Psychological intervention ,Logistic regression ,Depression, Postpartum ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Pregnancy ,medicine ,Humans ,Mass Screening ,Socioeconomic status ,Psychiatric Status Rating Scales ,Sweden ,business.industry ,Medical record ,Postpartum Period ,Nomogram ,medicine.disease ,030227 psychiatry ,Population based study ,Psychiatry and Mental health ,Clinical Psychology ,Family medicine ,Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale ,Female ,business ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery - Abstract
Background Universal screening for postpartum depression is crucial for early detection, interventions and support. The aim of this study was to describe the proportion of, and explore risk factors for, women not being offered screening, as well as for declining an offer or not being screened due to any other unknown reason. Methods Socioeconomic, obstetrical and neonatal data, extracted from the Swedish Pregnancy Registry, for 9,959 pregnancies recorded for the Ostergotland county between 2016 and 2018 were linked to Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) screening results at 6–8 weeks postpartum, extracted from medical records. Risk factors were assessed using logistic regression models and with a nomogram for easy visualization. Results In total, there were no recorded offers of EPDS screening in the medical records for 30.0% of women at the postpartum follow-up. Women born outside of Sweden and women reporting poor self-rated health were at increased risk of not being offered screening for postpartum depression. Limitations There is a possibility that women were offered screening or were screened, but this was incorrectly or never recorded in medical records. Conclusions The majority of women were offered screening for postpartum depression, but there is room for improvement in order to achieve universal screening. Awareness among healthcare providers of the risk factors for not screening might increase adherence to guidelines for universal screening. Overcoming barriers for screening and raising the topic of mental-health issues for postpartum women should be prioritized.
- Published
- 2020