Prevalence and the correlates of post-natal depression in an urban high density suburb of Harare

Abstract

Postnatal depression is a common complication of childbearing with a prevalence of 33% in Zimbabwe. Thus Zimbabwe has one of the highest prevalence of postnatal depression in the world and the situation is further compounded by the fact the country also ranks among those with the highest HIV prevalence globally.12 Despite variations in symptomatic presentations in different settings, postnatal depression transcends cultural boundaries, a phenomenon which makes it imperative to tackle the disorder cross culturally Understanding the risk factors for postnatal depression is therefore crucial in planning for effective interventions to curb the burden of psychiatric morbidity among vulnerable populations such as pregnant women in resource constrained settings.