Primary health care management of postnatal depression in Sweden

Abstract

In this study a questionnaire was sent to 227 health visitors in two Swedish counties, asking them to review the files of all infants born in 1991. The aim of the present study was three-fold: (1) to investigate how many postnatally depressed mothers had been identified; (2) how they were cared for within the Swedish Primary Health Care system; and (3) how health visitors within the Primary Health Care system experienced working with postnatal depression. The findings show that 4.7% of the mothers were found by the health visitors to suffer from postnatal depression. Almost all of the depressed mothers (94%) received extended support from the health visitor and a quarter of them were referred to other professionals. Although 69% of the health visitors perceived working with postnatally depressed mothers as a difficult task, 75% were willing to do so. The implications of these findings for identification and treatment of postnatal depression are discussed.