Citation

Dennis CL, Vigod S. Violence Against Women 2013; 19(4): 503-517.

Affiliation

Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1077801213487057

PMID

23660619

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the contribution of interpersonal violence and substance use to the prediction of postpartum depressive symptomatology. A community-based sample of 634 women in British Columbia, Canada was screened for interpersonal violence and substance use using the Antenatal Psychosocial Health Assessment (ALPHA) form. Of these women, 497 (78%) subsequently completed questionnaires at 8 weeks postpartum to assess for depressive symptomatology using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). A predictive model for postpartum depressive symptomatology (EPDS > 9) was developed using regression analysis. Findings suggest that women who experience past or current interpersonal violence or personal or partner substance use problems should be considered for targeted screening for postpartum depression (PPD).

Language: en