Postpartum depression is known to be a health problem that can have serious consequences for mothers, their children, and the family as a whole. As such, prevention is a high priority. The relation between the place of residence and risk of postpartum depression is not well understood. To find out if there are geographical differences in the risk of postpartum depression, researchers from Ontario used the population-based 2006 Canadian Maternity Experiences Survey, which surveyed women who had recently given birth.
They found that a history of depression, lack of social support, and being born outside Canada, are important risk factors that contribute to the high rates of postpartum depression in urban centres. Prevention programs to reduce those risk factors that can be modified, such as social support, could target women living in these areas to reduce the rates of postpartum depression.
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This Research Snapshot is based on their article “Relation between place of residence and postpartum depression,” by Simone Vigod, Leslie A. Tarasoff, Barbara Bryja, Cindy-Lee Dennis, and Lori Ross, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, CMAJ 2013. DOI:10.1503/cmaj.122028.
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