If you haven’t experienced postpartum depression or been aware of anyone close to you going through it, it may surprise you how common it actually is. The statistics vary from source to source and country to country, of course. The prevalence in Singapore is estimated to be nearly 0%, as opposed to almost 57% in Brazil. In the U.S., the estimated average prevalence rate comes out to about 15%, which means for every 4 million annual live births there are 600,000 new mothers who suffer from postpartum depression. Note that this takes into account only live births, and does not account for episodes of depression involving miscarriages or stillbirths.
Obviously there is more to determining the likelihood of experiencing postpartum depression than just math. There are several risk factors for postpartum depression, including:
A history of depression or bipolar disorder.
Having a family member with a history of mental illness.
Medical complications during childbirth.
Substance abuse.
Lack of emotional support from parter, family, or friends.
While postpartum depression can affect any mother, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status, there are certain demographic factors which seem to make it more likely for a woman to experience postpartum depression. Many studies have stated that the prevalence rate is higher in high-poverty areas, reaching as high as 25%.
There has also been research suggesting that immigrant women in the U.S. are more susceptible to postpartum depression than are native born women. Researchers at Brigham Young University conducted interviews with ninety-six Hispanic women who had given birth within the past year. The women all completed the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS) tool in Spanish, which asked questions about areas such as anxiety/insecurity, sleeping and eating disturbances, and guilt/shame. The results showed a prevalence of 54%, significantly higher than the average prevalence in the United States. This is consistent with other studies which have found a higher prevalence among Hispanic women.
An important part of breaking down the stigma surrounding postpartum depression is realizing how many women actually are affected by it, and understanding there is a good chance that someone you know has been, is, or will be going through it too.
