Abstract:

This study was performed to determine the effect of breastfeeding on depression experienced by women in the postpartum period. The population of the study was composed of women admitted to the maternity department of Maternity Hospital in Konya and the sample was composed of 324 voluntary literate women at the age of 18 and over. The data were collected with face-to-face interviews via the socio-demographic questionnaire created by the researchers, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression (EPDS) and the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale (BSES). The mean range of women’s BSES score was 53.50±10.14 (min=19, max=70), and the EPDS score was 8.77±5.40 (min=0, max=27). Women's BSES scores were determined to be statistically significantly different as to the problems at birth and domestic violence (p<0.05). Women's EPDS scores were determined to be statistically significantly different as to wanted pregnancy, taking prenatal care, problems at birth and domestic violence (p<0.05).According to our findings, there was a negative correlation between EPDS and BSES scores. Women's breastfeeding success was determined to be at intermediate level, while a quarter of women were depressed. There was also a negative correlation between breastfeeding and depression.

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