Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Postpartum depression (PPD) is screened by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), where a score of 10 - 12 indicates possibly having PPD and a score of ≥ 13 indicates PPD. This publication aims to describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the hospital length of stay (LOS) of parturients following a PPD diagnosis. METHOD: The CDC identified five peak months of COVID-19 cases in NJ between January 2020 and March 2022; 10,967 parturients at Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) filled out the EPDS after delivery and were split into two groups based on their EPDS scores: 10-12 and ≥ 13. Groups were then correlated with the five peak months, assessing the LOS via the t-score and one-way ANOVA. RESULTS: Across the five peak months, 71 (3.67%) were found to have an EDPS of ≥ 10, with 71.8% in group 1 and 28.2% in group 2. In these months, the average LOS was 2.2 days, significantly less than the LOS in patients with an EDPS of ≥ 10 (p = 0.03). The average LOS in groups 1 and 2 was 2.57 and 2.4 days, respectively, with no significant difference. Conclusion: The difference in the LOS, not accounting for extenuating factors, means that individuals with possible or diagnosed PPD had a longer stay, which may be associated with proper psychiatric care being employed prior to discharge. Further research assessing the LOS for PPD following COVID-19 may elucidate whether proper care is still being given for PPD following delivery.