Nurses specializing in maternal and child health are poised to play a pivotal role in the early identification and prompt treatment of perinatal depression. Postpartum period it is well-known for presenting high-risk for the appearance of a mental illness.

This study has been carried out with the aim of investigating the level of knowledge of the nurses and their role in the management of post-partum depression.

73 participants (n=73) were selected which are professional nurses. The data were collected through a questionnaire formed out of 16 questions. The questionnaire is structured on three parts: general information about the participants, the nurse’s knowledge about the postpartum depression, and the identification and the management of the patient’s cases.

73 of the nurses questioned, consider that they were not properly prepared for this role and they were not able to identify and manage the patients with post-partum depression. They also consider that the ideal training should contain more theoretical information. Amongst these (32, 87%) do not know the symptomatology, and 38, 35% are not aware of the risk factors of post-partum depression.

Postpartum depression is seen in approximately 10% of women who have recently given birth, but also in 3, 3% of men. Despite of this numbers, the Romanian medical staff is not yet well prepared in facing this affection.

No significant relationships.

– Studies have suggested that women with pregnancy anxiety may be at greater risk of postnatal depression (PND). However, due to the high comorbidity between anxiety and depressive disorders, this finding may be confounded by the association between prenatal depression and postnatal depression. The aim of the present prospective study was to assess whether anxiety disorder (AD) during pregnancy is an independent predictor of intensity of postnatal depressive symptoms.

– The MATQUID cohort survey was conducted on pregnant women (n = 497) attending a state maternity hospital. Psychiatric status during pregnancy was assessed during the third trimester using a structured diagnostic interview. Intense postnatal depressive symptoms at 6 weeks post-partum were defined by a score >12 on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS).

– Nearly one out of four women (24.1%) presented with at least one pregnancyAD, and 29 (5.8%) presented with a score >12 on the EPDS. After adjustment for presence of major depression during pregnancy and other confounding factors, women with pregnancy AD were nearly three times more likely to present with intense postnatal depressive symptoms (OR = 2.7, 95%CI 1.1-6.3, P = 0.03).

– Promoting the recognition and management of AD in pregnant women may be of interest for the prevention of postnatal depression.