Knowledge, Attitudes, and Management of Postpartum Depression Among Healthcare Professionals in Croatian Primary and Community Care: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study.

BACKGROUND

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a common perinatal mental health disorder with important consequences for mothers and children. Early detection depends largely on primary and community healthcare professionals. This study assessed knowledge, recognition patterns, and screening practices related to PPD and examined factors associated with screening implementation.

METHODS

An exploratory cross-sectional online survey using convenience sampling was conducted between December 2025 and March 2026 among 154 healthcare professionals (74 community nurses and 80 physicians). Structured questionnaires assessed PPD knowledge, while physicians additionally reported screening and treatment practices. Group differences, correlations, and predictors of screening implementation were analyzed statistically.

RESULTS

Community nurses achieved higher overall knowledge scores than physicians (66.1% vs. 58.4%; p = 0.0038). Physicians more frequently distinguished baby blues from PPD (60.0% vs. 27.0%; p < 0.001). Awareness of validated screening tools among physicians was low, with only 10.0% recognizing the EPDS. Although physician knowledge correlated with screening frequency before correction for multiple testing (ρ = 0.27; p = 0.015), the association was not statistically significant after BH-FDR correction (q = 0.075). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, guideline awareness was not significantly associated with screening implementation (OR = 3.81; 95% CI 0.98-14.82; p = 0.053).

CONCLUSIONS

Gaps remain in knowledge of PPD screening tools and treatment, particularly among physicians. The findings support the need for improved education, dissemination of clinical guidelines, and implementation support for standardized screening practices. However, given the exploratory convenience-sampling design and the lack of statistically significant adjusted associations, further longitudinal and implementation-focused studies are needed.