Author(s)

Taeko Unno^1*, Eriko Terasawa², Kiyoko Naito³, Mayuko Niida⁴, Yoshihiro Asano⁵, Hisayo Okayama⁶

¹Graduate Course of Midwifery, Kyoto Koka Women’s University, Kyoto, Japan.
²Doctorial Program in Nursing, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
³Department of Child Studies, Faculty of Education and Welfare, Biwako-Gakuin University, Shiga, Japan.
⁴Healthcare Division, LEBER Inc., Ibaraki, Japan.
⁵School of Medicine Department of Health Sciences, Shinshu University, Nagano, Japan.
⁶Nursing Science and Engineering/Women’s Health Nursing, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.

The global incidence of postpartum depression is estimated at approximately 10% - 20%. A lack of partner support is a key factor associated with perinatal depression. This study examined the effects of an educational intervention that provided information for the prevention and early detection of postpartum depression to first-time mothers and fathers who participated in a “First-Time Parent Class.” The study was utilized quasi-experimental research, conducted first with the control group and followed by an assessment of the intervention group. Mothers were assessed using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale and the Japan Child and Family Research Institute Child-Rearing Support Questionnaire. Fathers’ assessments were conducted using the Japan Child and Family Research Institute Child-Rearing Support Questionnaire for Fathers and were based on responses to questions regarding their coping strategies. Data were obtained from 158 data (72 interventions, 86 controls) couples analyzed. No significant difference was found between mothers’ child-rearing difficulty and depression score rates in the first month after childbirth. There was a difference among fathers in the control group and those in the intervention group regarding their responses to maternal depression: the “consult family” (p = 0.035), “consult friends” (p = 0.033), and “consult the city health center” (p = 0.047) variables were higher in the intervention group; however, the effect size was small. Providing first-time parents with information during pregnancy to prevent and detect postpartum depression will deepen parents’ understanding and help them cope with postpartum depression.

Postpartum Depression, First-Time Parents, Educational Intervention

Unno, T. , Terasawa, E. , Naito, K. , Niida, M. , Asano, Y. and Okayama, H. (2023) Effectiveness of an Educational Intervention for Postpartum Depression in a Pre-Parent Classroom. Open Journal of Nursing, 13, 455-486. doi: 10.4236/ojn.2023.138031.