Abstract

Saleh Rahman, MD, Ph.D., MPH and Erin Manglardi, MPH

Objective: To assess the prevalence of postpartum depression, the risk factors affecting the onset in men and women, consequences of postpartum depression on raising a child and the barriers which lie in the way of effective treatment. Methods: A systematic literature review written using online databases. PubMed Medline, DynaMed Plus and EBSCOhost were the preferred search engines for this review. Articles were found using the key words below the search was narrowed down based on the main topic of the study, specifically, postpartum depression. All studies were peer reviewed and published between 2007-2018. Results: Prevalence of PPD varies dramatically between low income (so called developing) and high income (so called developed) countries and although rates have decreased over the years, it still affects a significant portion of postpartum men and women. In the developed world, the incidence of postpartum depression ranges from 7-12% while the incidence in developing countries may be as high as 50%.2 Common risk factors were identified in both the developing and developed world. These include low socioeconomic status, poor marital quality, having an African American or Mexican American background and a previous history of depression.11