Objective: Several factors have been considered to be contributors to depression. Perinatal period is important for vulnerability to depressive disorders. Prevalence of Postpartum Depression changes between 14 % and 29 % in Turkey. Lifetime prevalence of Major Depressive Disorder is high in Eastern Turkey. Therefore, the real prevalence of postpartum depression is still unknown. We aimed to evaluate the depressive disorders and associated factors in a large sample of reproductive age women who are not in prenatal or postnatal period.
Method: We used General Health Questionnaire-28 and Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale as screening tests in 589 women between the ages of 15–49 in Erzurum. Associated factors were established with the socio-demographic questionnaire. Prevalence of Depressive Disorders was determined by SCID-I, severity of depression was assessed with Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. General Assessment of Functionality, Brief Disability Scale, and Scale of Perceived Social Support from Family were administered to evaluate functionality, disability and social support.
Results: Results of the study showed that 32.8 % of women had Depressive Disorders. Being a widow or divorced, having low levels of education and income, being a housewife or worker, marriage and giving birth at an early age, having an unemployed spouse and possessing three or more children were associated with Depressive Disorders. While 84.0 % of women who were diagnosed with depressive disorders presented with mild or moderate depression, 82.9 % of them appeared to suffer from disability. We found a negative correlation between functionality, social support and severity of depression.
Conclusion: Since there is a high prevalence of Depressive Disorders throughout a woman’s life, it is extremely important to consider all periods in terms of diagnosis and treatment.