KNOWLEDGE AND ATTRIBUTION OF POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION BY NURSING MOTHERS ATTENDING FEDERAL MEDICAL CENTRE, YOLAADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Childbirth is expected to trigger off various forms of emotions among nursing mothers, including excitement and joy. However, many nursing mothers are traumatised by depression and other mental health challenges during this period due to changes in their psychological, social, and physiological conditions. The increasing rate of depression among nursing mothers, due to lack of knowledge and negative attributions towards these conditions, calls for immediate attention by researchers. This study investigated knowledge and attribution of postpartum depression by nursing mothers attending Federal Medical Centre, Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria. The objectives of the study were to: (i) examine the knowledge of postpartum depression among nursing mothers in Nigeria and (ii) examine to what extent nursing mothers in Nigeria attribute postpartum depression. The research design adopted for this study was the mixed-method design. The population for the study comprised all nursing mothers attending Federal Medical Centre, Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure comprising purposive, proportionate, and random sampling was employed to select a sample of 240 nursing mothers for the study. A questionnaire and an interview schedule were used to gather data. The questionnaire items were validated by lecturers in Counsellor Education and Behavioural Sciences, University of Ilorin, and its reliability yielded a coefficient of 0.84 through a test re-test reliability method. Percentage, mean (x)¯ and rank order were used to answer the research questions. The findings of the study revealed that 67% of the respondents do not know the symptoms of postpartum depression, and respondents attributed postpartum depression to the evil machinations of extended family members and demonic possession. The study concluded that nursing mothers in Nigeria have inadequate knowledge about postpartum depression and attribute the condition to minor causal agents like witchcraft. The implication is that nursing mothers are unduly traumatised and would need support to fully understand the nature of postpartum depression. The study recommended the use of trauma counselling approaches like enlightenment and cognitive restructuring as intervention strategies to assist nursing mothers to overcome the
trauma associated with postpartum depression. This could be provided by counsellors through Child Health Centres and postnatal clinics.