Nearly 40% of new mothers of twins experience depression: study
Almost two-fifths of mothers of twins experience depression in the weeks immediately after giving birth, while a substantial portion of them are depressed on varying levels afterward and even during pregnancy, a study by a government-affiliated group showed Monday.
The Korea Population, Health and Welfare Association, under the Ministry of Health and Welfare, conducted a study on 459 couples who are either raising twins or are currently impregnated with twins. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and EPDS-K, a localized version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, were used in the study.
It found that 30.2 percent of women who had given birth to twins within the past 12 weeks were experiencing severe depression, while 9.3 percent had mild depression. The study used a three-level scale of depression: mild, moderate, and severe.
Although the rate of severe depression dropped significantly as mothers progressed further into child-rearing, about 28 percent still had some level of depression.
When surveying all mothers of twins — including those who had given birth more than 12 weeks prior — 55.1 percent were found to be showing symptoms, although most did not meet clinical diagnostic thresholds for depression.
About 9.7 percent were found to have severe depression, 6.6 percent had moderate depression, and 11.5 percent were experiencing mild depression.
Fathers raising twins also reported signs of depression, although to a lesser extent than mothers. Some 2.6 percent were severely depressed, 9.1 percent experienced mild depression, and 26 percent showed symptoms below the clinical level.
The study showed that 20.4 percent of the mothers pregnant with twins were also depressed, 8.3 percent on a severe level and 8.3 percent on a mild level.
The findings from the KoPHWA indicated higher levels of depression than were found in separate studies of postpartum depression that were not limited to mothers of twins.
In 2024, researchers of CHA Bundang Medical Center released a study that showed 16.3 percent of the new mothers were depressed, based on their survey of 2,512 women.
A separate survey by the KoPHWA in 2024, 94.7 percent of the parents raising twins said that they needed more support from authorities than parents of a single child. Despite the difficulties, 85.6 percent of the respondents said that raising twins had more positive aspects than negative ones, with 30.7 percent citing the advantage of having multiple children through a single birth.
"The recent survey showed that it is necessary to provide psychological and emotional support for the parents in the pregnancy, birth, and child-raising process of twins. ... The association will work with the related government agencies to reduce the burden of child rearing," said Dr. Lee Sam-sik, the president of the KoPHWA.
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