Is postpartum depression a homogenous disorder: time of onset, severity, symptoms and hopelessness in relation to the course of depression

Table 4 Severity of depressive symptoms according to previous depression

	History of previous depressive episode			History of depression during pregnancy			Pure postpartum depression
	No (n = 19)	Yes (n = 85)		No (n = 60)	Yes (n = 44)		No (n = 81)	Yes (n = 23)
	Mean (SD)	Mean (SD)	p-value ²	Mean (SD)	Mean (SD)	p-value ²	Mean (SD)	Mean (SD)	p-value ²
Number of symptoms¹	5.58 (0.61)	6.75 (1.31)	<0.001	6.28 (1.18)	6.89 (1.37)	0.024	6.77 (1.32)	5.74 (0.81)	0.001
EPDS score	15.32 (4.22)	18.09 (3.90)	0.012	17.02 (3.99)	18.36 (4.12)	0.137	18.10 (3.98)	15.78 (4.00)	0.028
BDI score	17.03 (6.27)	23.38 (7.85)	0.001	19.97 (6.98)	25.29 (8.52)	0.001	23.35 (7.84)	18.24 (7.18)	0.003
BHS score	5.52 (3.47)	8.17 (4.58)	0.016	6.42 (4.13)	9.42 (4.45)	0.001	8.32 (4.56)	5.45 (3.54)	0.006

¹Number of symptoms in SCID interview.
²P-values are for Mann–Whitney U test.
EPDS = Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, BDI = Beck Depression Inventory, BHS = Beck Hopelessness Scale, SD = standard deviation.

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