Postpartum anxiety and depression: onset and comorbidity in a community sample

Abstract

A community-based sample of 107 women completed the Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale at 14 weeks postpartum and at 30 weeks postpartum. The point prevalence of anxiety was 8.7% at 14 weeks and 16.8% at 30 weeks postpartum. The point prevalence of depression was 23.3% at 14 weeks and 18.7% at 30 weeks postpartum. The incidence of anxiety during this time period was 10.28%, and the incidence of depression was 7.48%, indicating high incidences of both postpartum anxiety and depression later in the postpartum period. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was found to have a strong correlation with the State Anxiety Scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (r = .73 at 14 weeks, r = .82 at 30 weeks), suggesting that the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale may be a good screening instrument for anxiety as well as depression.