Pediatricians' knowledge, attitudes, and experience toward peripartum depression: the findings from Turkey.

UNLABELLED: Peripartum depression (PPD) is a serious public health issue associated with adverse maternal and infant outcomes. Healthcare providers (HCPs)-including pediatricians, family medicine physicians (FMPs), and obstetricians-are well-placed to screen for and manage PPD. This study aims to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and experience regarding PPD among pediatricians and compare them with those of FMPs and obstetricians in Turkey. This cross-sectional study included HCPs from multiple cities across Turkey. Data were gathered through an online structured questionnaire designed by the researchers. The sample comprised 200 pediatricians, 158 FMPs, and 76 obstetricians. Pediatricians exhibited the lowest level of awareness regarding PPD screening tools (p < 0.001), the lowest utilization rate of standardized PPD screening tools (2%), and the lowest rate of prior PPD training (1.5%). Although the majority of pediatricians agreed that PPD should be assessed, only 39% perceived postnatal PPD assessment as part of their professional responsibility (p < 0.001). After adjusting for confounders, being a pediatrician was independently associated with lower awareness of PPD screening scales (aOR = 0.50; 95% CI:0.30-0.83; p = 0.007) and a higher likelihood of strongly disagreeing with PPD screening responsibility (aOR = 5.82; 95% CI:1.31-25.84; p = 0.021).

CONCLUSIONS

Pediatricians demonstrated the lowest levels of knowledge, experience, and unfavorable attitudes toward managing PPD. A clear discrepancy exists between recognizing the importance of PPD management and acting on PPD. Incorporating PPD training into medical education and pediatric residency programs, as well as developing standardized PPD guidelines that include pediatricians, could enhance PPD screening and management in Turkey.

WHAT IS KNOWN: • Although a growing body of literature has documented a rise in peripartum depression (PPD) screening by pediatricians, current PPD screening rates remain profoundly inadequate. • Healthcare providers have limited knowledge, negative attitudes, and insufficient clinical experience regarding PPD.

WHAT IS NEW: • This study is the first in Turkey to highlight the significant gaps in postpartum PPD awareness among pediatricians, revealing limited knowledge, negative attitudes, and insufficient clinical experience. • Pediatricians had the lowest rate of prior training among healthcare professionals, despite expressing a strong need for education.