[Mental disorders during pregnancy, childbirth and puerperium in the region of Ribeiro Preto-SP, Brazil]

Depression during pregnancy: prevalence and risk factors among women attending a public health clinic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Depression is the most prevalent psychiatric disorder during pregnancy and is associated with psychosocial and clinical obstetric factors. Despite being an important public health issue, there are few studies about this issue in Brazil. A cross-sectional study was carried out, involving 331 pregnant women attending a public primary health service over a one-year period in Rio de Janeiro city, Brazil. Participants were interviewed about their socio-demographic status, obstetric/medical conditions, life events and violence during pregnancy. Depression was assessed using the Composite International Development Interview. The prevalence of depression during pregnancy was 14.2% (95%CI: 10.7-18.5) and associated factors included: previous history of depression and any psychiatric treatment, unplanned pregnancy, serious physical illness and casual jobs. These data emphasize the need for screening for depression and its risk factors during pregnancy in settings where care is available. Psychosocial interventions and social policies need to be devised for this population.

[Multiprofessional care and mental health in pregnant women]

OBJECTIVE

To identify non-psychotic affective disorders in pregnant women, to intervene by means of psychoprophylactic groups, and to evaluate possible alterations following intervention.

METHODS

One-hundred and three pregnant women (71 adults and 32 adolescents) were seen at a community program in the Paraisópolis neighborhood in the city of Sao Paulo, southeastern Brazil. We used the following instruments: Self Reporting Questionnaire and Beck Depression Inventory. Ten weekly two-hour meetings were held, addressing the link between mother and fetus and subjects related to mother and child, and answering mother's doubts. We used the chi-squared test (chi2) to compare mental health before and after the intervention, with a significance level of p<0.05.

RESULTS

Affective disorders were found in 45 pregnant women (43.7%) before the intervention and in 23 (22.3%) after the intervention. The impact of the intervention on affective disorders was statistically significant (p=0.001). Twenty-one women (20.4%) showed depression before the intervention, and 13 (12.6%) after the intervention, a non-significant difference (p=0.133).

CONCLUSIONS

Multiprofessional care can prevent, detect, and treat affective disorders during pregnancy in both adults and adolescents.