Depressive disorder is common in postpartum, low-income, urban mums, according to a new study.

The study headed by University of Rochester Medical Center researchers has been released online by the journal Pediatrics.

This is the primary research to portray the occurrence of depression among low-income urban mums, who were attending well-child care visits, through the use of a diagnostic talk.

It also is the first research of this population group to examine the accurateness of three depression screening techniques regularly utilized by doctors.

The screening techniques have high accuracy in discovering depression, the scientists concluded, but cutoff marks may require to be modified to discover depression more precisely among low-income urban mums.

The study comprised 198 mums aged were 18 or older and whose kids were no older than 14 months. The mums attended well-child visits at the outpatient pediatric clinic at Golisano Children's Hospital at the Medical Center.

The scientists discovered that 56% of the mums, after a diagnostic consultation, met the standards for a diagnosis of a major or minor depression.

Linda H. Chaudron, M. D., associate professor of Psychology, Pediatrics and of Obstetrics and Gynecology, said, "This is an unexpected, very high proportion to meet diagnostic criteria for depression."

"This may be a group at high risk for depression. The message of this study is that pediatricians and other clinicians who work with low-income urban mothers have multiple screening tools that are easy to use and accurate. These tools can help clinicians identify mothers with depression so they can be referred for help." (With Input from Agencies)