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Determinants of ante-partum depression: a multicenter study

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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

An Erratum to this article was published on 03 August 2012

Abstract

Introduction

Ante-partum depression (APD) is usually defined as a non-psychotic depressive episode of mild to moderate severity, beginning in or extending into pregnancy. APD has received less attention than postpartum depression. This is a cross-sectional study carried out in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology (OG) departments of four different general hospitals in Italy.

Methods

Women attending consecutively the OG departments for their first ultrasound examination were asked to fill in the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) in its Italian validated version. We used the total scores of the EPDS as a continuous variable for univariate and linear regression analyses; in accordance with the literature, the item analysis of EPDS was carried out by classifying the sample as women with “no depression” (scores 0–9), “possible depression” (scores 10–12), “probable depression” (scores 13+) and “probable APD” (scores 15+).

Results

The number of women recruited was 1,608. The EPDS assessment classified 10.9 % of the women as possibly depressed, 8.3 % as probably depressed and 4.7 % probably affected from an APD. EPDS score distribution was associated with nationality (higher scores for foreigners), cohabitation (higher scores for women living with friends or in a community), occupation (higher scores for housewives), past episodes of depression and use of herbal drugs. Non-depressed women had significantly lower values on all ten items as compared with depressed women, however, the pattern of item distribution on the EPDS scale remained similar across depression severity groups. In all four groups item 4 (anxious depression) attained the highest scores, while item 10 (suicidality) attained the lowest scores.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Psychiatry, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medical Sciences, University of Udine, Udine, Italy

    Balestrieri Matteo & Zorzenone Stefania

  2. Department of Medical and Morphological Sciences, University of Udine, Udine, Italy

    Isola Miriam

  3. Biostatistics Office, University Hospital, Verona, Italy

    Bisoffi Giulia

  4. Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences, University Hospital “Policlinico Consorziale”, University “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy

    Calò Salvatore, Zito Adriana & Di Sciascio Guido

  5. Clinical Pharmacology Unit, University of Verona, Verona, Italy

    Conforti Anita & Leone Roberto

  6. Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital of Udine, Udine, Italy

    Driul Lorenza & Marchesoni Diego

  7. Section of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, Department of Medicine and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy

    Petrosemolo Paola

  8. Psychiatric Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy

    Rossi Michela & Bellantuono Cesario

  9. Clinica Psichiatrica, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, P.le S. M. Misericordia 15, 33100, Udine, Italy

    Balestrieri Matteo

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  1. Balestrieri Matteo
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  2. Isola Miriam
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Correspondence to Balestrieri Matteo.

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Matteo, B., Miriam, I., Giulia, B. et al. Determinants of ante-partum depression: a multicenter study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 47, 1959–1965 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-012-0511-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-012-0511-z

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