Program

Nurse-Midwifery M.S.

Number of Pages

57

Year Approved

2024

First Advisor

Vingers, Julie Ann

Second Reader

Katrina Wu

Abstract

Introduction: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a challenging yet common experience for new mothers worldwide. PPD is impacted by intrapartum interventions, but their effects are not well-defined in the literature. The purpose of this integrative review was to identify intrapartum interventions that increase or mitigate a woman’s risk for postpartum depression. Methods: A literature search was conducted using PubMed, CINAHL, and ScienceDirect for articles published between 2014-2024. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to select applicable studies. Search results were uploaded to Covidence systematic review software and used to screen included studies. Throughout the process, the Johns Hopkins Evidence Research Appraisal Tool was used to analyze study quality and to limit included studies to original research with quality Levels I-III. Results: The search identified a total of 22 articles with a total of 202,405 participants which met inclusion criteria and were chosen for this review. Themes identified included interventions that are protective against developing PPD, including nonpharmacologic pain relief methods, adequacy of pain relief, social support, and music therapy. Interventions that increase risk of developing PPD include antibiotics, cesarean sections, episiotomies, induction of labor, pain interventions unmatched with desired interventions, epidurals (inconclusive), and synthetic oxytocin (inconclusive). Discussion: Intrapartum interventions can help to mitigate PPD risk when carefully selected for the individual woman. Application of this review’s findings must be nuanced rather than broadly applied. Further research is needed to explore the impact of individual interventions on PPD development, as well as in the context of other risk factors for PPD.

Degree Name

M.S. Nurse-Midwifery

Document Type

Masterʼs thesis

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