The British Journal of Psychiatry 175: 554-558 (1999)
© 1999 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

Post-partum depression and the mother-infant relationship in a South African peri-urban settlement

PJ Cooper, M Tomlinson, L Swartz, M Woolgar, L Murray and C Molteno
Department of Psychology, University of Reading.

BACKGROUND: Post-partum depression in the developing world has received little research attention, and its association with disturbances in the mother-infant relationship is unknown. AIMS: To determine the prevalence of post-partum depression and associated disturbances in the mother-infant relationship in Khayelitsha, a South African peri-urban settlement. METHOD: The mental state of 147 women who had delivered two months previously was assessed, and the quality of their engagement with their infants was determined. RESULTS: The point prevalence of DSM- IV major depression was found to be 34.7%. Maternal depression was associated with poor emotional and practical support from the partner. It was also associated with insensitive engagement with the infants. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of post-partum depression in Khayelitsha was around three times that found in British post-partum samples, and these depressions were strongly associated with disturbances in the mother- infant relationship.

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