Partner Abuse Contributes to Postpartum Depression

Objective: To study risk factors among abused and nonabused women in the development of postpartum depression. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Participants: 5655 abused women and 68,136 nonabused women. Methods: As part of the Canadian Maternity Experiences Survey, subjects enrolled in this original prospective cohort study were questioned about violence exposure and postpartum depression. Subjects were initially mailed an introductory letter with follow-up interviews lasting approximately 45 minutes. Women were asked about actual violence including being slapped, bitten, kicked, hit, beaten, choked, or threatened with a gun or knife. They were specifically asked about their experience over the 2 years preceding the survey and about exposure specifically before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and after birth. Results: Postpartum depression was associated with abuse, with an adjusted odds ratio of 2.29. Abuse occurring before pregnancy had an odds ratio of 3.28 for postpartum depress more...