Prevalence of Depression during Pregnancy and Postpartum in a Sample of Croatian Women*

The aims of the study were (1) to establish the prevalence of postpartum depression (PPD) in the community sample, (2) to determine the stability and (3) the longitudinal pattern of elevated depression from pregnancy to postpartum. A sample of 272 women filled out the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) on three occasions: in the third trimester of pregnancy at the prenatal clinic, 2 days postpartum at the maternity ward and 6 weeks postpartum by postal questionnaire. At 6 weeks postpartum the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders – Research version (SCID-I RV) was administered by telephone. According to the SCID, the prevalence of PPD in the community sample was 8.1%. The longitudinal pattern of depression from pregnancy to 6 weeks postpartum showed that the level of depression is moderately stable. However, the mean depression score decreased over time. The clinical implications of the findings are discussed.