Prevalence of Postpartum Depression and Associated Risk Factors Among Women in Jeddah, Western Saudi Arabia

Background Postpartum depression (PPD) is a significant psychological disorder that can affect women during or after pregnancy. Its risk increases throughout the first 90 days and may last up to almost two years, which can create an overall burden on society. Although the etiology is unknown yet, there are risk factors that contribute to developing PPD. This study aims to assess the prevalence of PPD and the risk factors among women in Jeddah, western Saudi Arabia in 2019. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in infant vaccination clinics of the primary healthcare centers (PHC) of the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Ministry of National Guard (MNGHA) Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire with Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) from mothers up to four months postpartum. Results Of the 172 postpartum women, the study estimated the prevalence of postpartum depression to be 20.9%. The significant risk factors predicted by multivariate regression analysis were history of previous depression (odds ratio {OR}=4.7; 95% confidence interval {CI} 1.9 to 11.5), difficult life event interval (OR=3.5; 95% CI 1.1 to 10.7), and attitude toward pregnancy (OR=2.1; 95% CI 0.9 to 4.5). Conclusion A fairly high prevalence of postpartum depression was revealed among the females in Jeddah. Therefore, we recommend screening of mothers after delivery to help early intervention and management along with psychosocial support.