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Postnatal depressive symptoms go largely untreated

A probability study in urban New Zealand

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Abstract

Background

Prior studies providing estimates of the prevalence of postnatal depressive symptoms (PNDS) in New Zealand have been hampered by methodological shortcomings. Aims of this study were to derive an accurate estimate of PNDS prevalence and treatment frequency in an urban population of a major city in New Zealand.

Method

This was a one-wave postal survey of a probability, community sample of all women in Auckland who were 4 months postpartum. PNDS was assessed with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS).

Results

There were 225 usable responses (78% response-rate): 36 women (16.0%) scored above the threshold for depressive symptomatology, and nine of them were in treatment. A further 31 women (13.8%) scored just below the threshold region for depressive symptomatology, and none were in treatment.

Conclusion

The prevalence rate of PNDS in urban New Zealand is slightly higher than the world-wide average, and goes largely untreated in the community. Health care providers should remain vigilant to the finding that almost one in three mothers with infants is suffering with symptoms of depression and may need strong encouragement to admit they need help.

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Acknowledgments

This work was undertaken while the first author was a doctoral candidate at the University of Auckland. It would not have been possible without the many health professionals who contributed to the study and the hundreds of mothers who agreed to participate. We also gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Professors Robert Kydd, Timothy Elliott, and Kyle Siegrist.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ISI, 1555 Thurston Rd, Dickerson, MD, 20842, USA

    Irene M. Thio BSc, BA(Hons), PhD

  2. Dept. of Psychological Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Mark A. Oakley Browne BSc, MB, ChB, PhD, FRANZCP

  3. Menninger Dept. of Psychiatry and The Center for Ethics and Public Affairs, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA

    John H. Coverdale MD, MEd, FRANZCP

  4. Dept. of Psychiatry, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    Nick Argyle MB, BS, MRCPsych, FRANZCP

Authors
  1. Irene M. Thio BSc, BA(Hons), PhD
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  2. Mark A. Oakley Browne BSc, MB, ChB, PhD, FRANZCP
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  3. John H. Coverdale MD, MEd, FRANZCP
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  4. Nick Argyle MB, BS, MRCPsych, FRANZCP
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Irene M. Thio BSc, BA(Hons), PhD.

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Thio, I.M., Browne, M.A.O., Coverdale, J.H. et al. Postnatal depressive symptoms go largely untreated. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 41, 814–818 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-006-0095-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-006-0095-6

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