Beyond the Blues

Abstract

By Natalie Obert, Nursing; Kaitlyn Snow, Nursing; Kendall Sabatelli, Nursing; Dana Buttree, Nursing

Advisor: Mohammad Othman

Presentation ID: 144

Abstract: Postpartum depression is depression that occurs after childbirth, resulting in symptoms such as lack of interest in caring for and bonding with the baby, thoughts of self harming, a feeling of sadness or emotionlessness for more than two weeks after birth, and many more. Nationally, about 1 in 8 women experience symptoms of postpartum depression. In the United States, about 1 in 7 women experience symptoms of postpartum depression within the first year after giving birth, but many go undiagnosed. Some studies show that up to 50% of postpartum women with postpartum depression are undiagnosed. The purpose of our educational project is to train postpartum nurses in the hospital setting about the implementation and evaluation of using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) to detect early signs and symptoms of postpartum depression disorder and have the ability to continue to use the EPDS on each patient after birth. We conducted an educational powerpoint preceded by a pretest assessment and followed by a posttest assessment of knowledge. It included information of early signs of PPD, general information of the EPDS, how to implement the EPDS, and how to analyze the results gathered by using the EPDS.