PREVALENCE OF POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION AMONG LOCAL POPULATION OF PAKISTAN

Introduction: Women in their reproductive age are at high risk for depression. This disorder occurs more often during postpartum period than any other time. Postpartum depression is a disorder characterized by symptoms such as severe loneliness, irritability, fear, lack of confidence, changes in feelings, guilty feelings, decreased concentration, and in severe cases is accompanied with suicidal thoughts. Objectives of the study: The current study aims to investigate the effects of exercise training on postpartum anxiety and depression in pregnant women. Material and method: This cross-sectional study was conducted in District Headquarters Hospital, Vehari during 2019 with the permission of ethical committee of hospital.  This study was conducted on 100 women who had childbirth and who were referred to gynaecological clinic for postpartum care. The members of the study group entered the training stages, but the control group had been evaluated only in the final stage of the study along with the case group. All mothers in the case group received training at the first session, so that they could practice the exercises correctly and completely. Results: The demographic findings in the present study show that there is no significant difference in characteristics of the units studied between the study and control groups. The results of the tests for comparing the effects of training on postpartum depression showed that there was a significant reduction in the studied group and the depression score decreased from 17.69 ± 3.78 to 16.09 ± 3.05 (p = 0.02). Conclusion: It is concluded that 8-week aerobic exercise show an effective and reducing impact of exercise on the levels of depression and anxiety and stress in postpartum women; so that depression improved for a number of women in the study group.