Effectiveness of discharge education on postpartum depression
Open accessAbstract
In Brief Purpose: To determine effectiveness of an educational intervention in reducing or preventing symptoms of postpartum depression (PPD). Study Design and Methods: English-speaking women age 18 or older with a singleton, term, healthy newborn were recruited from an 11-bed maternity unit in Southern New Hampshire. Using a quasi-experimental design, the first 120 respondents received usual care (control), and the following 120 respondents received the education (treatment) including PPD predictors, symptoms, prevention, and management. Current risk factors were measured using the Postpartum Depression Predictors Inventory-Revised (PDPI-R). Symptoms of depression were measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months postpartum. Two-proportion z-tests were used to determine whether the education had a significant impact on EPDS scores at each of the three follow-ups. Results: There was no significant difference in symptoms of depression as measured by the EPDS between the treatment and control group at 6 weeks, 3 months, or 6 months postpartum. However, consistent with previous studies, low socioeconomic status and a history of depression or anxiety prior to or during the pregnancy were significant predictors of PPD. Clinical Implications: Postpartum nursing discharge education did not decrease depression symptoms up to 6 months after discharge. More research is needed to determine the most appropriate timing and content of education about PPD. Many women at risk can be identified prior to birth. Education to improve literacy about PPD may need to be provided prenatally and reinforced during postpartum hospitalization and after discharge. Postpartum depression is a serious condition that disproportionately affects women of low socioeconomic status and women with a history of prior depression or anxiety. This study evaluated efficacy of an education intervention for women during postpartum hospitalization in minimizing risk of depression at 6 weeks, 3 months or 6 months postpartum.
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Researchers found that what was taught during the short hospitalization after birth was not retained and was more than what was needed in that moment.
“researchers found that what was taught during the short hospitalization after birth was not retained (McCarter-Spaulding & Shea, 2016) and was more than what was needed in that moment (Buchko et al., 2012).”
From Scoping Review of Postpartum Discharge Education Provided by Nurses (2022) · cites this paper as McCarter-Spaulding & Shea, 2016
The Clinical Nursing Implications section says discharge teaching during the first few days postpartum may exceed what women can take in and recall. But the paper presents this as a possibility, not a finding that the teaching was not retained; its reported outcome was postpartum depression symptoms, not retention. The separate claim about teaching being more than was needed cites Buchko et al., not this paper. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.86)
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Sorted by citations
Scoping Review of Postpartum Discharge Education Provided by Nurses
McCarter, D., Law, A. A., Cabullo, H., & Pinto, K. (2022) · Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.jogn.2022.03.002 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Self-citation
- Authors
- McCarter-Spaulding, D., & Shea, S.
- Affiliations
- Saint Anselm College (US)
- Venue
- MCN: The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing
- Published
- 2016-05
- Volume
- 41
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 168-172
- ISSN
- 0361-929X (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4852281
- OpenAlex
- W2343067439
- Cited by
- 25
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 3
- FWCI
- 1.98
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- MCN The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Sigma Theta Tau International
- National Institute of General Medical Sciences (P20GM103506)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Maternal and Neonatal Healthcare
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Obstetrics and Gynecology › Maternal and Perinatal Health Interventions
- Keywords
- postpartum depression, discharge education, postpartum nursing care, educational intervention, risk factors, socioeconomic status, history of depression, anxiety, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, postpartum hospitalization
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Female, Humans, Middle Aged, New Hampshire, Patient Discharge, Patient Education as Topic, Psychometrics, Depression, Postpartum
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