Investigating the Relationship between Self-Esteem and Postpartum Blues among Delivered Women

Postpartum period is the most risky time for mental and psychological disorders including sadness, depression and psychosis. Postpartum depression is the most common postpartum disorder that may disturb relationship of mother with child and family and in the absence of appropriate attention and treatment may have irreparable damages. Therefore, the purpose of this study is investigating the relationship between self-esteem and postpartum depression. This study is cross-sectional and descriptive-analytic and was conducted in 2014 with 322 available samples from the research population, consisted of women who gave birth at Mobini Hospital, Sabzevar. The data collection tools were demographic and midwifery questionnaire, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale. Questionnaire within the first 24 hours after giving birth, in the situation where the mother was able to answer the questions, on the third, seventh and tenth day after childbirth, were completed. Then the data were analyzed using SPSS 18 and descriptive and Pearson tests, T-test, and Chi-squared test. The significance level was considered (p=0.05). Blues of giving birth in different days did not differ significantly (p > 05). The relationship between self-esteem and postpartum depression was significant (p < 0.001). Results showed that increased self-esteem in pregnant women results in a reduction in postpartum depression.