The Challenge of Early Inpatient Postpartum Depression Screening, Essay Example

Introduction

A PICOT question is comprised of the following elements: 1) P: Identifying the population with the disease or condition in question; 2) I: Determining the intervention method or area of interest; 3) C: Conducting a comparison of two elements; 4) O: Determining the outcome; and 5) T: Identifying a timeframe to address the outcome effectively. The question to be considered is as follows: Does addressing postpartum depression prior to discharge have an impact on outcome?

Body     

A study by Rogers, Kikokoro, Wallendorf, & Inder (2012) address the significance of demographics, psychosocial, and infant factors have an impact on evidence of postpartum depression prior to discharge in mothers with preterm infants, and it was determined that depression, anxiety, marital status, and prolonged ventilation contribute to postpartum depression. Another study by Berger et.al (2013) addressed early screening related to this condition, only to discover that factors such as history of mental illness and gestational hypertension play a role in creating a higher risk of postpartum depression in some patients. Although these studies possess entirely different aims, they also support the potential benefits of identifying the potential for postpartum depression prior to discharge to improve patient care and specialized treatment for new mothers.

Conclusion

A change in the practice model regarding postpartum depression to include screening prior to discharge may provide an effective means of understanding the condition and how it might be treated among patients who are affected, using resources within the hospital environment to ensure that post-discharge instructions and guidance are clear and concise to prevent further risk or harm to these patients. This change will support the continued growth and evolution of the practice environment by using nursing knowledge and expertise in order to target interventions for patients who may be at risk of postpartum depression.

References

Berger, D. O., Elizabeth, A., Smulian, M. D., John, C., Quiñones, M. D., Marraccini, M. D., … & Sandra, L. (2013). The Challenge of Early Inpatient Postpartum Depression Screening.

Rogers, C. E., Kidokoro, H., Wallendorf, M., & Inder, T. E. (2012). Identifying mothers of very preterm infants at-risk for postpartum depression and anxiety before discharge. Journal of Perinatology, 33(3), 171-176.