Effectiveness of antenatal education about postnatal depression: A comparison of two groups of Japanese mothers

The effectiveness of information and practical advice provided during pregnancy about postnatal depression has not been adequately demonstrated. We examined the occurrence of postnatal depression in two groups of childbearing women (attenders v. non-attenders at antenatal informational support groups). Assessments of outcome were made by a three-stage procedure, using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and a clinical interview at the first consultation, 6 weeks and 12 weeks later. Forty patients were identified as suffering from postnatal depression; 18 of the patients belonged to the attenders and 22 to the non-attenders. The attenders were referred to psychiatrists more quickly after the onset of depression in comparison with the non-attenders (p