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Postnatal depression: A comparison of African and Scottish women

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Summary

A total of 183 Ugandan women were interviewed at their first visit to a rural antenatal clinic and again 6–15 weeks after childbirth. The Luganda modification of Goldberg's Standardised Psychiatric Interview was administered on each occasion. Eighteen women had a depressive illness following childbirth, which in all but four had not been present during pregnancy. No association was found between postnatal depression and a hospital delivery, having a first baby or being unmarried. Anxiety neuroses were found in six women, and two had animal phobias. Schizophrenia and organic psychoses did not occur. The depressed Africans were unlikely to consult doctors because of their symptoms. When compared with Scottish women with postnatal depression, the depressed Africans were less likely to report guilt or selfblame.

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Author notes

  1. John L. Cox

    Present address: Department of Psychiatry, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, Africa

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

    John L. Cox

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  1. John L. Cox
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Cox, J.L. Postnatal depression: A comparison of African and Scottish women. Soc Psychiatry 18, 25–28 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00583384

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00583384

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