Postpartum Mental Health in Rural South Africa: Socioeconomic Stressors and Worsening Mental Health

This study aimed to characterize patterns of worsening mental health during the postpartum period among women in rural areas of Limpopo Province, South Africa, and to identify correlates with household demographic factors. We collected data on maternal mental health symptoms shortly after birth and then again 7 months postpartum using the World Health Organization self-reporting questionnaire (SRQ-20) from December 2017 to November 2018. The absolute change in SRQ-20 symptom score was calculated to determine worsening mental health over the postpartum period. Linear regressions were performed to investigate factors associated with mental health symptom scores at varying postpartum time points. We found increased reporting of poor mental health symptoms at 7 months postpartum as compared to shortly after birth (n = 224). Worsening maternal mental health over the postpartum period was associated with higher SRQ-20 symptom score shortly after birth (p < 0.001) and reported food insecurity at 7 months (p < 0.001). SRQ-20 symptom scores in the postpartum period were not associated with breastfeeding in the past 24 h reported at 7 months postpartum (p = 0.08). Women in rural South Africa, like women in many settings, may be vulnerable to worsening postpartum mental health when they lack sufficient socioeconomic resources and when they have pre-existing depressive/anxiety symptoms.