Postpartum Depression and Birth Experience in Russia

BACKGROUND: In European countries, postpartum depression (PPD) occurs in 13–19% of women. The statistics indicate that postpartum depressive disorders affect up to 300,000 women in Russia annually. There is still an extremely acute lack of psychological comfort provided to women during labor in Russia. OBJECTIVE: To our knowledge, ours is the first study that examines the association between childbirth experience and the risk of PPD in Russia. DESIGN: We collected data from 190 Russian-speaking mothers, ages 19 to 46, (M = 32 ± 4.3) two months after their delivery. RESULTS: Birth satisfaction and physical well-being two months after delivery were significantly inversely associated with PPD. Birth satisfaction negatively correlated with the perceived severity and unpredictability of labor, and positively correlated with physical well-being two months after delivery. The presence of a partner and a personal midwife or doula at birth was associated with higher birth satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: Our results emphasize the significance of childbirth satisfaction in the context of PPD and suggest the importance of individual professional support during labor.