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. 2025 Jul 29:34:e41.
doi: 10.1017/S2045796025100103.

Diagnosis of postpartum depression and associated factors in South Africa: a cohort study of 47,697 women

C Gastaldon  1 , V Whitesell Skrivankova  1 , G Schoretsanitis  2   3   4 , N Folb  5 , K Taghavi  1   6 , M A Davies  7 , M Cornell  7 , G Salanti  1 , C Mesa Vieira  1 , M Tlali  7 , G Maartens  8 , M Egger  1   7   9 , A D Haas  1
Affiliations

Diagnosis of postpartum depression and associated factors in South Africa: a cohort study of 47,697 women

C Gastaldon et al. Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci. .

Abstract

Aims: About one-third of South African women have clinically significant symptoms of postpartum depression (PPD). Several socio-demographic risk factors for PPD exist, but data on medical and obstetric risk factors remain scarce for low- and middle-income countries and particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. We aimed to estimate the proportion of women with PPD and investigate socio-demographic, medical and obstetric risk factors for PPD among women receiving private medical care in South Africa (SA).

Methods: In this longitudinal cohort study, we analysed reimbursement claims from beneficiaries of an SA medical insurance scheme who delivered a child between 2011 and 2020. PPD was defined as a new International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision diagnosis of depression within 365 days postpartum. We estimated the frequency of women with a diagnosis of PPD. We explored several medical and obstetric risk factors for PPD, including pre-existing conditions, such as HIV and polycystic ovary syndrome, and conditions diagnosed during pregnancy and labour, such as gestational diabetes, pre-term delivery and postpartum haemorrhage. Using a multivariable modified Poisson model, we estimated adjusted risk ratios (aRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for factors associated with PPD.

Results: Of the 47,697 participants, 2,380 (5.0%) were diagnosed with PPD. The cumulative incidence of PPD increased from 0.8% (95% CI 0.7-0.9) at 6 weeks to 5.5% (5.3-5.7) at 12 months postpartum. PPD risk was higher in individuals with history of depression (aRR 3.47, 95% CI [3.14-3.85]), preterm delivery (1.47 [1.30-1.66]), PCOS (1.37 [1.09-1.72]), hyperemesis gravidarum (1.32 [1.11-1.57]), gestational hypertension (1.30 [1.03-1.66]) and postpartum haemorrhage (1.29 [0.91-1.85]). Endometriosis, HIV, gestational diabetes, foetal stress, perineal laceration, elective or emergency C-section and preeclampsia were not associated with a higher risk of PPD.

Conclusions: The PPD diagnosis rate was lower than anticipated, based on the PPD prevalence of previous studies, indicating a potential diagnostic gap in SA's private sector. Identified risk factors could inform targeted PPD screening strategies.

Keywords: depression; epidemiology; mood disorders postpartum; risk factors; women.

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Conflict of interest statement

Dr Schoretsanitis has served as a consultant from Dexcel Pharma, HLS Therapeutics and Thermo Fisher and has received speaker’s fees from HLS Therapeutics, Lundbeck and Sadalax. These disclosures are not relevant to and do not influence the subject of the current paper. None of the above companies had any role in study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation or writing of the manuscript. The remaining authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Cumulative incidence of postpartum depression diagnosis.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Adjusted risk ratios (aRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for the association between risk factors and PPD. The Poisson regression model was adjusted for all variables shown in the model, calendar year and self-identified population group. PCOS: polycystic ovary syndrome.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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