Year: 2010
Type: dissertation
Study design: Clinical Trial
Abstract: ABSTRACT \nDO SUPPORT GROUPS HELP NEW MOTHERS WITH \nPOSTPARTUM DEPRESSION? \nby \n?? Jaime M. Laffins 2010 \nMaster of Science in Nursing \nCalifornia State University, Chico \nSpring 2010 \nPostpartum depression (PPD) is a major depressive disorder. Research \nshows that PPD can occur in 10-15% of new mothers in the United States. New mothers \nthat are at greater risk are those that have a history of depression or previous postpartum \ndepression. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether new mothers who completed \nthe ???Bittie Baby and Me??? (BB & M) series will score lower on the Edinburgh \nPostnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) questionnaire than those who did not complete or \nattend the support group series. \nA quasi-experimental design was used to collect data from 71 new mothers \nthat volunteered to participate in this study. Seventy-one new mothers completed the \nEPDS questionnaire at one to two days postpartum at a rural Northern California hospital. \nTwenty-three new mothers attended the ???BB & M??? class series (experimental \nix \ngroup). The remaining 48 new mothers chose not to attend the ???BB & M??? classes (control \ngroup). At eight weeks postpartum, the same EPDS questionnaire was administered \nto both groups. All 23 new mothers from the experimental group completed the EPDS \nquestionnaire during the last class (class 6). Forty-eight new mothers in the control \ngroup were mailed the second EPDS questionnaire and an ice-cream gift certificate at \nseven and a half weeks postpartum with a return of 34 completed EPDS questionnaires. \nThe hypothesis is new mothers who attend the ???BB & M??? support group series \nwill score lower on EPDS than those who do not attend. When comparing the \nEPDS scores at one to two days postpartum to eight weeks for the control group there \nwere no differences between the pretest and posttest EPDS scores. However, when \ncomparing the EPDS scores at one to two days postpartum to eight weeks for the experimental \ngroup there was a decrease in the EPDS posttest scores compared to the \nEPDS pretest scores. \nThe results suggest the new mothers that completed the ???BB & M??? classes \nscored lower on the EPDS questionnaire. Lower EPDS scores indicated the new mothers \nhad a decreased risk for PPD. The EPDS scores for the new mothers who chose not \nto attend the ???BB & M??? classes had higher EPDS scores at eight weeks postpartum than \nthey had at one to two days postpartum. Higher EPDS scores indicated the new mothers \nhad an increased risk for PPD. The results from this study showed that new mothers \nwho attended the ???BB & M??? classes had lower EPDS scores. \nNurses serve a vital role in promoting health care, providing support, and \ncollecting data that will assist them with identifying new mothers at risk for PPD. Max \nternity nurse educators play an essential role in providing perinatal support groups and \nparenting classes to assist new mothers in their new role.
Author: Jaime M. Laffins
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2226698212