Temporal Relationship Between Intimate Partner Violence and Postpartum Depression in a Sample of Low Income Women

• Published in: Maternal and child health journal Vol. 17; no. 7; pp. 1297 - 1303
• Main Authors: Faisal-Cury, Alexandre, Menezes, Paulo Rossi, d’Oliveira, Ana Flávia Pires Lucas, Schraiber, Lilia Blima, Lopes, Claudia S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.09.2013; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Brazil - epidemiology; Crime Victims; Cross-Sectional Studies; Demographic aspects; Depression, Postpartum - epidemiology; Depression, Postpartum - psychology; Family violence; Female; Gynecology; Humans; Influence; Interpersonal Relations; Interviews as Topic; Maternal and Child Health; Medical personnel; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental depression; Middle Aged; Multivariate analysis; Pediatrics; Police reports; Population Economics; Postpartum depression; Postpartum period; Poverty; Prevalence; Preventive medicine; Psychological aspects; Public Health; Public sector; Risk Factors; Sexual assault; Sexual Partners; Social Support; Socioeconomic Factors; Sociology; Spouse Abuse - psychology; Spouse Abuse - statistics & numerical data; Surveys and Questionnaires; Training; Violence; Womens health; Young Adult; Brazil; Rio de Janeiro Brazil; Postpartum depression; Intimate partner violence; Common mental disorders; Social support
• ISSN: 1092-7875; 1573-6628
• DOI: 10.1007/s10995-012-1127-3

To estimate whether there is a temporal association between Postpartum Depression (PPD) and intimate partner violence (IPV), and to assess the potential role of social support on this relationship. A cross-sectional study was conducted between January 2006 and March 2007 with 701 low income women who received prenatal and postpartum care in primary health care units of the public sector in São Paulo, Brazil. The Self-Report Questionnaire (SRQ-20) was used to assess the presence of PPD. Structured standardized questionnaires were used to assess IPV and social support. The prevalence of PPD was estimated with a 95 % confidence interval. Crude and adjusted prevalence ratios were calculated using Poisson regression to examine the association between PPD and exposure variables. Values of p  < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. The prevalence of PPD was 27.9 % (95 %CI 24.6:31.2). The prevalence of psychological IPV was 38.6 %, physical IPV 23.4 %, and sexual IPV 7.1 %. The multivariate analysis showed that PPD was strongly associated with current psychological and physical/sexual violence, after controlling for confounding factors, and less so with past (prenatal or lifetime) IPV. Presence of social support was an independent protective factor for PPD. Identifying and addressing intimate partner violence, including psychological violence, in the postpartum period should be considered as part of a comprehensive approach to caring for new mothers.