Data Analytics Project: Postpartum Depression Analysis

Introduction

We present you a comprehensive data analysis project on Postpartum Depression. This analysis focuses on the physical and mental health of women during the postpartum period, leveraging data-driven insights to identify, diagnose, and treat potential complications associated with childbirth.

Definition and Causes

Definition: Postpartum Analysis involves examining a woman's physical and mental health after childbirth, crucial for identifying and treating complications arising from the delivery.

Causes:

• Hormonal Changes: Rapid fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone impact mood and physiological processes.
• Emotional Factors: Stress, sleep deprivation, and lifestyle adjustments contribute to emotional challenges.
• Physical Changes: Recovery from childbirth, breastfeeding challenges, and hormonal fluctuations.
• Bleeding: Excessive bleeding may result from complications like retained placenta or lacerations.
• Infection: Infections in the uterus, urinary tract, or incision sites pose risks to maternal and infant health.
• Blood Clots: Formation of blood clots can lead to life-threatening conditions.
• Mental Health Problems: From baby blues to severe conditions like depression, anxiety, and psychosis.
• Other Complications: Conditions like preeclampsia, eclampsia, and HELLP syndrome pose severe risks.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

Symptoms:

• Excessive bleeding
• Fever
• Pain
• Redness, swelling, or pus
• Difficulty breastfeeding
• Baby Blues
• Postpartum Depression (PPD)
• Postpartum Anxiety
• Postpartum Psychosis

Diagnosis:

• Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)
• Blood tests
• Ultrasound
• X-ray

Treatment and Pathology

Treatment:

• Baby Blues: Typically resolve on their own.
• Postpartum Depression/Anxiety: Therapy, support groups, and medication.
• Postpartum Psychosis: Requires immediate medical attention, often involving hospitalization and medication.
• Bed rest, Medications, Surgery: Depending on the complication.

Pathology:

• Complex interplay of hormonal, psychological, and social factors.
• Hormonal, Neurotransmitter, and Genetic Factors contribute to postpartum mental health issues.

Prevention and Analysis

Prevention of Postpartum Complications:

• Regular prenatal care
• Healthy diet
• Adequate rest
• Open communication with healthcare providers

Analysis:

Research Question 1

How Sleeping Affects Bonding & Concentration in Postpartum Depression?

Objective: Explore the relationship between sleep patterns, bonding with the baby, and decision-making abilities in postpartum women.

Methodology:

• General postpartum emotions and sleep problems.
• Age-related observations and impact on bonding.
• Sleep, connection, and decision-making in different age groups.

Key Findings:

• Youthful age group (25-30) experiences heightened irritation and impaired decision-making with less sleep.
• Maturity seems to mitigate these effects, with less impact on bonding in older age groups.

Research Question 2

Does Guilt Increase Anxiousness & Affect Their Diet?

**Objective:** Investigate the correlation between feelings of guilt, anxiety levels, and dietary habits in postpartum women.

Methodology:

• Anxiety and appetite across age groups.
• Correlation between guilt, sadness, and suicide attempts.
• Notable trends, coping strategies, and recommendations.

Key Findings:

• Guilt does not strongly correlate with sadness across all age groups.
• Anxiety has minimal impact on eating habits, with notable coping strategies observed.
• Higher rates of suicide attempts in the 35-50 age range indicate a critical need for mental health interventions.

Analysis through tableau

1. Sleep and Postpartum Emotions:

• Youthful Age Group (25-30): Postpartum women in this age group experience heightened irritation and impaired decision-making with less sleep. The connection with the baby is affected, emphasizing the impact of sleep on emotional well-being.

• Maturity (35-50): Older age groups show a mitigating effect of maturity, with less impact on bonding and decision-making even with sleep deprivation. This suggests that maturity may play a protective role in managing postpartum emotional challenges.

2. Guilt, Anxiety, and Coping Strategies:

• Guilt and Sadness: Across all age groups, the majority of women feeling guilty do not report feeling sad. Guilt does not strongly correlate with sadness, indicating that these two emotions may be independent of each other in the postpartum context.

• Anxiety and Appetite: Anxiety has minimal impact on eating habits across age groups. Effective coping mechanisms are observed, as anxiety does not significantly affect dietary behaviors. This suggests that women employ various strategies to maintain their appetite despite feelings of anxiety.

• Suicide Attempts: The 35-50 age range shows higher rates of suicide attempts. This underscores the critical need for targeted mental health interventions and support in this specific age group.

3. Overall Insights:

• Consistent Trends: Patterns across age groups reveal consistent trends, such as the lack of strong correlation between guilt and sadness. These insights provide a nuanced understanding of the emotional experiences of postpartum women.

• Appetite and Anxiety: Anxiety, in general, does not appear to have a profound impact on appetite across different age groups. This suggests a level of resilience or coping mechanisms that enable women to maintain their dietary habits despite elevated anxiety levels.

• Individual Coping Strategies: Despite the challenges of postpartum emotions, some women demonstrate resilience, as indicated by lower suicide attempt rates. Identifying and promoting these effective coping mechanisms could be valuable in supporting overall mental well-being.

4. Recommendations:

• Targeted Interventions: Develop targeted mental health interventions, particularly for women in the 35-50 age range, where higher rates of suicide attempts are observed. Tailoring interventions to address specific age-related challenges can enhance their effectiveness.

• Explore Coping Mechanisms: Further exploration and promotion of effective coping mechanisms identified in groups with lower suicide attempt rates. Understanding and disseminating these strategies could contribute to improved mental health outcomes for postpartum women.

Data Analytics Tools

The project utilized various data analytics tools to gather, analyze, and visualize the data, facilitating a deeper understanding of postpartum depression. The team has developed a web application for interactive exploration of the findings, accessible here. The project's source code is available on GitHub.

In conclusion, this data-driven analysis on postpartum depression contributes valuable insights for healthcare professionals, policymakers, and researchers, emphasizing the significance of early detection, proper diagnosis, and targeted interventions for maternal well-being.