PREVALENCE AND COPING MECHANISMS OF POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION AMONG MOTHERS OF INFANTS IN IBADAN NORTH-EAST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, IBADAN, OYO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Postpartum depression is a mood disorder in women associated with childbirth. It is an important public health issue affecting both the mother’s health and the child’s development. Its prevalence is between 10 and 20% in sub-Saharan Africa, yet it is one of the least addressed types of depression today. Cases of mothers murdering their babies have been documented and reported widely, however, many mothers that experience this have little or no knowledge about it. Therefore, this study was designed to assess the prevalence and coping mechanisms of PPD among mothers of infants in Ibadan North-East Local Government Area, Oyo State, Nigeria. The study was a descriptive community-based cross-sectional survey which employed a multi-stage sampling technique. Six wards were randomly selected from the twelve wards in Ibadan North-East Local Government Area, and two communities were randomly selected from each of the six wards to get a total sampling frame of twelve communities. Pre-tested semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of three hundred and twenty respondents to document their socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge and perceived factors associated with PPD. Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and a 28- item Brief Coping Orientation with Problem Experienced (Brief COPE) Scale was adapted to screen for depression and coping mechanisms respectively. Knowledge score was measured on 10 point scale. A knowledge score of ≤3 was rated poor. Cut off score for depression on EPDS was ≥ 10. Data was analysed using SPSS version 20, using descriptive statistics and Chi-square test at 0.05 level of significance. The age of respondents was 30.9±6.5years, 91.6% were married, 88.4% were Yoruba. Majority (52.8) had Secondary education as the highest educational level, 47.2% were traders, 83.3% were in a monogamous marriage, 89.1% had ≤4 children, and most respondents (86.3%) had irregular monthly income. About one-third of the respondents (37.5%) answered the questions on knowledge of PPD, of which majority (80.8) had good knowledge. The prevalence of PPD was 30.6%, while Religion was the most (90.8%) frequently used coping style. Relationship difficulty with family of birth (OR: 0.28, 95% CI 0.12–0.67, P <0.001), Anxiety during pregnancy (OR: 0.40, 95% CI 0.20-0.82, P <0.001), and unplanned pregnancy (OR: 4.53, 95% CI 2.22–9.22, P <0.001) were factors found to be statistically associated with PPD. There is low awareness of postpartum depression among the entire group but good knowledge score among those that we're aware of it in the study area. Hence, there is need for creating awareness and sensitization of mothers of infants on postpartum depression at the community level.