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Low-Income Women at High Risk for Postpartum Depression

A mother's chance of becoming depressed after childbirth is strongly tied to her family income, education level and occupation, shows research on more than 4000 women from varying socioeconomic backgrounds.

Participants completed interviews, demographic surveys and depression assessments at an average of 4.6 months after delivery.

Income proved to be the strongest predictor of whether women showed symptoms of postpartum depression. Forty percent of mothers from households with incomes under $20,000 experience clinically significant postpartum depression compared with just 13 percent of mothers from households earning $80,000 or more per year.

Researchers say that emotional difficulties related to finance may be compounded by the additional stress of having a baby, increasing these women's chances of becoming depressed.

ABSTRACT: The prevalence of postpartum depression