New tool improves assessment of postpartum depression symptoms

In the current issue of Family Medicine and Community Health (Volume 6,Number 3, 2018, pp.104-114; DOI:https://doi.org/10.15212/FMCH.2018.0109, researchers Ajibola A. Ishola, Chisom C. Obasi and Ismail T. Sholuke of the Department of Psychology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, describes how having a baby is often marked by disturbance in mood, and the birth of a premature baby can put mothers at greater risk of psychological distress than the birth of a full-term baby.

Available screening tools assess postpartum depression symptoms without consideration of mitigating sources of postpartum stress. Edinburgh Post-natal Depression scale is the commonest measure for differential diagnosis in Nigeria but limited in screening women for suicidal ideation and anxiety.

This study developed a new tool that improves the efficiency of, and reduces the time spent diagnosing postpartum depression among mothers of preterm babies. Efficiency in diagnosing the pathological reaction of mothers of preterm babies to the child's condition and the corresponding depression symptoms is highly important for implementation of cost-effective intervention by mental health practitioners.