SJSCIENCE
ISSUE 67, SUMMER 2024

Issue No 67.
Spring 2024

THE EFFECT OF SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS ON THE PREVALENCE OF POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION

By: Adriana Cooke, Shiny Aroan Jayakumar, Negin Nasiri
Mentors: Dr. Shahid Bakhsh Rangrej, Dr. Sunitha Namani

Postpartum depression is a type of depression that happens after having a baby. It affects up to 15% of women.
Socioeconomic status (SES) is a multidimensional construct comprising multiple factors. The most important SES indicators are income, education, employment status, food insecurity, and housing insecurity.
SES has a profound impact on a wide array of life outcomes. However, there might be areas where the direct correlation is less evident or where individual variations are more pronounced (the opposite is true as well).
Is it the case in postpartum depression?
SJSM students delved into the complex relationship between SES and depression. While mental health is a universal concern, it's undeniable that certain segments of our society or certain conditions bear a disproportionate or specific burden.
By understanding the interplay between socioeconomic factors and depression, we can work towards developing more effective prevention and intervention strategies to promote mental health equity for all.