Peer-reviewed article
Postpartum depressive symptoms in women with female genital mutilation in Somalia
Özgür Özer, Esra Keleş, Hasan Huseyin Eker, Kürşad Nuri Baydili, Marian Muse Osman ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined postpartum depression in women with female genital mutilation (FGM) in Somalia. Researchers measured depressive symptoms using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale in mothers at a hospital in Mogadishu between February and May 2021. The study found that women with FGM had higher rates of depressive symptoms in the early postpartum period, and that lower income was associated with higher depression scores.
Key points
- Women with FGM had increased depressive symptoms in the early postpartum period
- Lower income was associated with higher postpartum depression scores
- Education level, place of residence, occupational status, number of children, type of FGM, and perineal tear did not significantly differ between depressed and non-depressed groups
Limitations
The study was cross-sectional and cannot establish causation or temporal relationships. The document does not provide the sample size, specific prevalence rates, or details on the mechanisms linking FGM to postpartum depression.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify associated factors for postpartum depression (PPD) among women with female genital mutilation (FGM) in Somalia. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted between February and May 2021 in Somalia Mogadishu-Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan Training and Research Hospital, Mogadishu, Somalia. Mothers with any known chronic disease, or psychiatric disorders and who refused to participate were excluded from the study. The cutoff point for depression was defined as ≥13 points according to the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. RESULTS: = .002). Education level, place of residence, occupational status, number of children, type of FGM, and the presence of perineal tear did not differ significantly between depressed and non-depressed groups. CONCLUSIONS: Women with FGM had increased depressive symptoms in the early postpartum period in Somalia. In addition, women who had lower income had higher PPD scores than their counterparts. Further studies are needed to develop a deeper understanding of the relationships between FGM and PPD and its causes.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Assessment and identification of associated factors for postpartum depression using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (cutoff ≥13 points)
- Population
- Postpartum mothers with FGM in Mogadishu, Somalia (chronic disease and psychiatric disorder cases excluded)
Key finding
Women with FGM had increased depressive symptoms in the early postpartum period