Depresión postparto en mujeres que asisten al Centro de Salud Carlos Elizalde en Cuenca–Ecuador durante el período 2022

Abstract

Postpartum depression represents a public health problem in many countries, yet efforts to prevent it are limited. In our country, the exact number of women with this disorder is unknown, which indicates that they do not receive adequate psychological monitoring. On the other hand, the scarce scientific information leads to confusion about other pathologies. This failure could have repercussions on the mother's environment and her child. This study aims to describe postpartum depression in women attending the “Carlos Elizalde” Health Center in Cuenca. Sociodemographic variables and psychosocial factors were identified, such as age, place of residence, occupation, partner relationship, desired pregnancy and stressful life event, which enabled a deeper description of the problem. The sample consisted of 108 women who met the inclusion criteria, 56 of whom had postpartum depression. A form with structured questions and answers was used for data collection to obtain sociodemographic and psychosocial information, and the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale was also used. Data analysis was performed using SPSS V 25 software, and descriptive statistics indicated the essential characteristics.