Postpartum depression and alcohol A single-center observational study.

Abstract

Introduction: The present study aims to determine the prevalence of postpartum depression and its relationship with alcohol use in a group of postpartum patients in a public reference hospital in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Methods: The study was conducted at the Guasmo Sur General Hospital in Guayaquil-Ecuador, from June 2023 to September 2023. Hospitalized patients older than or equal to 18 years in the current postpartum stage were included. Two tests were performed on each patient: the Edinburgh and AUDIT Tests.

Results: 657 postpartum women participated in the study: 538 participants (81.8%) were between 18 - 30 years old, 117 (17.8%) were between 31 - 44 years old, and 2 (0.3%) were over 45 years old. The average age was 24.35 ± 1.2 years. Postpartum depression was evident in 22.2% of the respondents, and 9.3% had alcohol dependence, of which 85.62% and 85.25% were between 18 - 30 years old, respectively. The Pearson correlation coefficient between the results of the Edinburgh test and AUDIT was P = 6.08E-06, P <α (0.05).

Conclusions: The study identified that there is a significant, directly proportional relationship between postpartum depression and alcohol dependence in which the most affected age range is between 18 and 30 years of age, which is why it is considered necessary to implement better treatment protocols. Maternal and child care to intervene promptly and avoid long-term complications.