Missing voices: What women say and do about depression after childbirth

Abstract

Women who had participated in a population based survey at 8–9 months after childbirth and who had scored as depressed at that time on a well-validated self report instrument, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), were followed up 12–18 months later when the babies were around 2 years of age. Home interviews were conducted with this case group (n = 45, EPDS score > 12) and with a randomly selected control group (comprising women who had not scored as depressed at the time of the survey, n = 45, EPDS score < 9). Although most women who had scored as depressed also perceived themselves as having been depressed, a third did not want to label this experience postnatal depression. Women who reported feeling depressed believed the contributing factors to be lack of support, isolation, fatigue and physical ill health. Only two in five women in the case group had sought any form of professional assistance. Half die women in the case group had sought help from non-professional sources, mainly friends. In offering advice to other mothers who may experience depression, women most commonly said it was very important to find someone to talk to about how they were feeling.