1. Screening for Antepartum Depression Through Community Health Outreach in Swaziland.
- Author
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Målqvist, Mats, Clarke, Kelly, Matsebula, Themba, Bergman, Mattias, and Tomlinson, Mark
- Subjects
DIAGNOSIS of mental depression ,MENTAL depression risk factors ,CHI-squared test ,COMMUNITY health services ,EMPLOYMENT ,FACTOR analysis ,HIV infections ,LONGITUDINAL method ,MARITAL status ,MEDICAL screening ,MULTIVARIATE analysis ,PREGNANCY & psychology ,THIRD trimester of pregnancy ,PRENATAL care ,PROBABILITY theory ,RESEARCH funding ,MATHEMATICAL variables ,LOGISTIC regression analysis ,EDINBURGH Postnatal Depression Scale ,EDUCATIONAL attainment ,CROSS-sectional method ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,PREGNANCY - Abstract
Maternal depression, including antepartum and postpartum depression, is a neglected public health issue with potentially far-reaching effects on maternal and child health. We aimed to measure the burden of antepartum depression and identify risk factors among women in a peri-urban community in Swaziland. We conducted a cross-sectional study within the context of a community outreach peer support project involving 'Mentor Mothers'. We used of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) to screen women for depression during the third trimester of pregnancy, using a cut-off score of ≥13 to indicate depression. We also collected demographic and socioeconomic factors, and assessed the association of these factors with EPDS score using logistic regression models. A total of 1038 pregnant women were screened over a period of 9 months. Almost a quarter (22.7 %) had EPDS scores ≥13 and 41.2 % were HIV positive. A fifth, 17.5 % were teenagers and 73.7 % were unemployed. Depression was not associated with HIV status, age or employment status. However, women with multiple socioeconomic stressors were found to be more likely to score highly on the EPDS. Depression was common among pregnant women in the peri-urban areas of Swaziland. Screening for depression using the EPDS is feasible and can be included in the community health worker standard tool box as a way to improve early detection of depression and to highlight the importance of maternal mental health as a core public health concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
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