The Scientific Institute of the Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital (Stradiņš Hospital) in cooperation with the University of Latvia, the Riga Maternity Hospital and other Latvian medical institutions has started the study "Development and validation of an instrument for the assessment of postpartum depression risk factors", which is being implemented within the framework of the State Research Program "Public Health" with the financial support of the Latvian Science Council.
The aim of the research is to create and validate a single tool for the timely identification of postpartum depression risks in the Latvian population. This will be done by adapting the widely used Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and supplementing it with socio-demographic and specific questions about the experiences and health of new mothers.
The research will take place in medical institutions of level V, IV, III and II, where 400 new mothers will be interviewed. The data obtained from the interviews will be anonymized and analyzed by experienced research epidemiologists and obstetricians. As a result of the study, we will obtain a valid and validated Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Questionnaire for Latvia.
The leading expert of the research and the obstetrician of Stradiņš Hospital, dr.Zane Krastiņa says: "According to the data of the World Health Organization, 10% to 20% of women experience mental and behavioral disorders during pregnancy and after childbirth, of which postpartum depression is the most common. In Latvia, only 38 women with this diagnosis came to specialists in 2022, and we do not know how many more women would need help. The tool, which we are currently validating, will help to identify possible risks of postpartum depression, when a woman is already in the pregnancy period. It is very necessary for obstetricians, family doctors and other colleagues to be able to provide timely psychological or medical help to women and new mothers who need it."
Risks and possible consequences associated with postpartum depression: repeated episodes of depression during life; bipolar affective disorder; increased risk of cardiovascular diseases; disturbed formation of mother-child contact; retarded physical development and growth of the child; increased risk of mental illnesses (more often depression, anxiety-related illnesses) for the child; aggressive and violent behavior of the child; female suicide; sudden infant death syndrome, etc.
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