Effectiveness of Structured Education in Reduction of Postpartum Depression Scores: A Quasi-Experimental Study

The aim of this study was to evaluate effectiveness of structured education in reduction of postpartum depression scores among women. This was a quasi-experimental study with a pre–post tests and a control group. Non-random sampling was used and the study included a total of 103 Turkish women, 52 of whom were in the intervention group and 51 were in the control group. The women in the intervention group were offered structured education for postpartum depression and given structured education material. Effectiveness of the education given was evaluated by comparing scores for Edinburg Postpartum Depression Scale obtained before and after delivery between the intervention and the control groups. Before education, median score (8.0 ± 4.8) for Edinburg Postpartum Depression Scale of the intervention group were significantly higher the than the control group (6.0 ± 6.0, p = 0.010), but the groups were statistically similar in terms of having depression (intervention: 17.3%, control: 11.8%, p = 0.425). After education, the median score for Edinburg Postpartum Depression Scale and the ratio of the women having depression in the intervention group were significantly lower than in the control group (respectively intervention: 4.0 ± 3.0, control: 10.0 ± 4.0, p = 0.000; intervention: 7.7%, control: 25.5%, p = 0.015). Besides, the median score (8.0 ± 4.8) of the intervention group before education were significantly higher than the score (4.0 ± 3.0) obtained after education (p = 0.000), while the median score (6.0 ± 6.0) of the control group before education were lower than the score (10.0 ± 4.0) obtained after education (p = 0.000). This study revealed that structured education offered to women by nurses was effective in reducing the postpartum depression scores and the numbers of women having depression.