ABSTRACT

Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a serious mental health problem that affects women during the first year after giving birth. It can have lasting negative effects on both mothers and their children, impacting breastfeeding, bonding, and child development. Women living in rural areas, especially in low and middle-income countries, face a higher risk because of economic hardship, limited healthcare, and cultural challenges.

Objective: This study looked at how common postpartum depression is and what social and health factors are linked to it among rural mothers in District Abbottabad, Pakistan.

Methods: The study took place from January to June 2021 and included 320 mothers who had given birth in the past year. Researchers selected participants from local health centers using convenience sampling. They gathered information through interviews and used the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale to assess mental health. The study looked at factors like age, education, income, anemia, intimate partner violence, unplanned pregnancy, social support, and financial stress. Logistic regression helped identify which factors were linked to PPD, with results considered significant if p-values were less than 0.05.

Results: The study found that 22.5% of the mothers had postpartum depression. Younger mothers (under 20) and those with less education were more likely to have PPD. The main factors linked to PPD were unplanned pregnancy (OR: 3.2), anemia (OR: 2.5), intimate partner violence (OR: 4.1), low social support (OR: 2.7), and financial stress (OR: 2.1). Even though PPD was common, only 8.4% of affected mothers were referred for mental health care, showing a major gap in support.

Conclusions: Postpartum depression is common among rural mothers in District Abbottabad. Unplanned pregnancies, anemia, intimate partner violence, low social support, and financial stress are major factors. These results highlight the urgent need for better mental health screening, referral systems, and culturally sensitive support for postpartum women in rural areas.