Abstract

Postpartum depression affects one in 10 American women. General symptoms include intense sadness/depressed mood, difficulty/inability to sleep, irritability, apathy/heightened anxiety, difficulty concentrating, loss of/poor appetite, and crying spells. When symptoms last more than two to three weeks post delivery, postpartum depression is suspected. Studies suggested that a higher percentage of mothers were not assessed until their six week post delivery visit. Nightingale's Grand Theory supported this study. This quantitative, quasi-experimental study examined whether or not first-time mothers educated one-on-one at 36 weeks could recognize and seek early treatment for postpartum depression before the six week post delivery visit. The control group comprised of fifty patients' charts that were reviewed retrospectively for an early visit for postpartum depression. The experimental group comprised of twenty-one currently pregnant patients who were educated by the researcher and given a pre-test and post-test for the signs and symptoms of postpartum depression. It was the researcher's goal to identify if the patients that exhibited signs and symptoms of postpartum depression would call for any early visit. Research tools were designed by the researcher. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive and inferential statistics did not reveal any significant correlation between education and seeking early treatment for postpartum depression; however, the statistics did show that the patients in the experimental group did gain knowledge about postpartum depression after the educational intervention. The study also revealed a lack of assessment of postpartum depression by the healthcare provider at the six week post delivery visit.