Predictors of postpartum depression - An update

Background. Approximately 13% of women experience postpartum depression. Ea rly recognition is one of the most difficult challenges with this mood diso rder because of how covertly it is suffered. Objectives: The purpose of this meta-analysis was to update the findings of an earlier meta-analysis of postpartum depression predictors that had synt hesized the results of studies conducted mostly in the 1980s. Method. A meta-analysis of 84 studies published in the decade of the 1990s was conducted to determine the magnitude of the relationships between postp artum depression and various risk factors. Using the software system Advanc ed Basic Meta-Analysis, effect sizes were calculated three ways: unweighted , weighted by sample size, and weighted by quality index score. Results: Thirteen significant predictors of postpartum depression were reve aled. Ten of the 13 risk factors had moderate effect sizes while three pred ictors had small effect sizes. The mean effect size indicator ranges for ea ch risk factor were as follows: prenatal depression (.44 to .46), self este em (.45 to .47), childcare stress (.45 to .46), prenatal anxiety (.41 to .4 5), life stress (.38 to .40), social support (.36 to .41), marital relation ship (.38 to .39), history of previous depression (.38 to .39), infant temp erament (.33 to .34), maternity blues (.25 to .31), marital status (.21 to .35), socioeconomic status (.19 to .22), and unplanned/unwanted pregnancy ( .14 to .17). Conclusions: Results confirmed findings of an earlier metaanalysis and in a ddition revealed four new predictors of postpartum depression: self-esteem, marital status, socioeconomic status, and unplanned/unwanted pregnancy.