Background/literature
The maternal role is vitally important to ensure the infant’s
safety, survival and well-being, but it does not come without
costs (Logsdon et al. 2006). Maternal illness such as
depression also may influence functioning in the maternal
role, by altering the woman’s self-esteem and self-efficacy,
interfering with the cognitive process of attaining the role
of mother or depleting energy stores (Logsdon et al. 2006).
Through both research and anecdotal observation, it has
become general knowledge that many women show symptoms
of depression following the birth of a child (Abraham
2008). Researchers estimate that approximately 50–70% of
women experience mood disturbances in the first two
weeks after giving birth (Abraham 2008). Despite the welldocumented
consequences of PPD, it remains difficult to
identify and diverse practices related to its prevention and
treatment (McQueen et al. 2008). In particular, a study of
60 primiparous mothers in the UK found that only 25% of
the mothers sought professional assistance for depressive
symptoms (McQueen et al. 2008). Often healthcare providers
do not screen for PPD because they are unsure where to
refer patients or do not think that it is their responsibility
to screen (Minkovitz et al. 2005). In a meta-analysis study,
the 13 predicting factors of PPD include history of prenatal
depression, self-esteem, childcare stress, parents’ anxiety,
life event stresses, unplanned pregnancy, social support, history
of depression, infant’s mood, maternal grief, socio-economic
status, marital relationship and marital status (Beck
2001).
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