Postnatal and non-postnatal depression in mothers: prevalence and associations with obstetric, sociodemographic and psychosocial factors

Background: There is uncertainty whether the prevalence of postnatal and la ter depression and their precursors differs. Objective: Dues postnatal and later depression differ regarding prevalence and contributing factors? Method: A prospective study of 1329 mothers and their infants from birth un til the 7(th) year of life. Results: Based on DSM-IV criteria, 3.3% of mothers developed postnatal depr ession and a further 3.6% a depression between the 2(nd) and 7(th) year of their child's life. Obstetric complications only related to postnatal depre ssion if mothers had a psychiatric history and a newborn that required neon atal intensive care. Psychosocial stress and family pressure were significa ntly related to depression. Postnatal and later occurring depression was be st predicted by a history of depressive illness. Conclusion: There is little to distinguish postnatal from later occurring d epression in regard to severity or pre-cursors.