Biological Rhythms, Sleep Quality and Postpartum Depression Disorder

Postpartum Depression Disorder (PDD) is one of the most recent major depressive episodes, many of which begin with symptoms during pregnancy and become more intense after childbirth. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of biological rhythms and sleep quality in the prediction of PDD. The research method was descriptive-correlational. The statistical population of this study included all women with PDD who referred to health centers of Talesh city (Iran) in the second half of 2016. A total of 110 women were selected through purposive sampling and responded to the Biological rhythms interview, Pittsburgh's Sleep Quality Questionnaires and Beck's Depression Inventory. Data was analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis. The results showed that postpartum depression has a positive correlation with the disturbance of biological rhythms and sleep problems. The results of regression analysis also showed that biological rhythms and sleep quality predict 44% and 43% of postpartum depression in women under study. These results indicate that disturbance in biological rhythms and sleep, arose at postpartum period, may be a major risk factor for postpartum depression.