Relationship of Postpartum Depression with Spiritual Well-Being and Some Demographic Variables among Women Referring To Health Care Centers Affiliated To Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran

Background and Objectives: Postpartum depression is a disorder affecting individuals’ social ability accompanied by dangerous complications in the mother, neonate, and the family of the patient. This study aimed to investigate the relationship of postpartum depression with spiritual well-being and some demographic variables among women referring to health care centers, Qom, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 196 eligible women referring to health care centers affiliated to Qom University of Medical Sciences during 2017. Participants were selected through a convenience sampling technique. Spiritual well-being and postpartum depression of the participants were measured through Spiritual Health Questionnaire and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, respectively. The data analysis was performed using the SPSS software through Pearson correlation coefficient test, one-way ANOVA test, and independent t-test. Results: The mean age of individuals was 28.58±5.97. The postpartum depression score above 12 was among 20 women (10.2%). Postpartum depression had a significant relationship with the mean score of spiritual well-being as well as cognitive/emotional and behavioral dimensions. There was a significantly negative correlation between spiritual well-being and postpartum depression among women (r=-0.52, P<0.001). Moreover, postpartum depression significantly correlated with the type of delivery, abortion history, job status, and educational level of the investigated women. Conclusion: According to the obtained results of the study, the participants had a desirable level of spiritual well-being, and a higher score in spiritual well-being led to a lower postpartum depression score.