DEPRESSION AFTER CHILDBIRTH - THE VIEWS OF MEDICAL-STUDENTS AND WOMENCOMPARED

Background: Little research has been conducted on the views of health professionals about women's experiences of depression after childbirth . This study compared the views held by undergraduate medical students about postnatal depression with those of women who had themselves exp erienced it Methods: Fourth- and sixth-year medical students at one Au stralian university were surveyed (n = 134). Their views about prevale nce, duration, contributing factors, and advice for dealing with postn atal depression were compared with the findings from 60 women in a pop ulation-based study of mothers who gave birth in Victoria in 1989, in which women scoring as depressed 8 to 9 months after birth on the Edin burgh Postnatal Depression Scale were interviewed 12 to 18 months late r about their experiences of depression and their advice to other moth ers. Results: Women's and students' views differed markedly, with stud ents much more likely to view hormonal and biologic factors and a ''te ndency to depression'' as playing an important role than women who ide ntified a wide range of social, physical health, and life event factor s as contributing to their experience of depression. Fourth-year stude nts tended to overestimate the prevalence of depression and sixth-year students to underestimate it. Both groups underestimated the duration of depression compared with women's actual experiences. Conclusion: M edical students need to develop a broader understanding of maternal de pression after the birth of a baby, and women's own views of the exper ience can and should make an important contribution to medical teachin g on this topic.