OBJECTIVE:

To determine the prevalence of postpartum depression in a Mexican population sample by means of the Edinburgh Scale and the risk factors associated with its onset.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Observational, cross-sectional, relational and analytical study carried out in a sample of Mexican population attended from March to July 2022 in four second and third level hospitals in four Mexican states. The Edinburgh scale was applied to postpartum patients. The data obtained were processed with a binary logistic regression technique adjusted to identify the most important risk factors for postpartum depression.

RESULTS:

From a sample of 717 patients to whom the Edinburgh Scale was applied, 106 were positive for postpartum depression, giving a prevalence of 14.9%. The average age of the patients was 26 years (range 12 and 46). Unmarried marital status was a protective factor for postpartum depression and, on the other hand, those who were married had a certain predisposition to postpartum depression. The higher the level of schooling the lower the predisposition to postpartum depression.

CONCLUSIONS:

The main risk factors for postpartum depression were: history of psychiatric disorders in the family, previous depression, economic difficulties and being single. Patients may have several simultaneous risk factors, a circumstance that increases the risk of depression. It is essential for the obstetrician to identify the risk factors from the prenatal check-up, to prevent the depressive state from worsening during the puerperium.

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