Background: Depression after childbirth affects more than one out of ten new mothers and could have a negative impact on the baby’s development and the parents relationship. In Sweden every new mother is screened for postpartum depression when the baby is six to eight weeks. Postpartum depression can also affect new fathers but there is no routine for screening them.
Aim: The aim of this study was to examine child health care nurses’ experiences and management of postpartum depression in new parents at child care center.
Method: The study was based on eight semi-structured interviews with child health care nurses. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis with inductive approach.
Results: Five categories appeared from the analysis; difficulties identifying postpartum depression, sense of inadequacy, supporting the parents, using screening instrument and to observe as well as 13 subcategories.
Conclusion: Child health care nurses experience postpartum depression as unusual in new parents. It could be difficult to separate postpartum depression from depressive symptoms caused by other factors. They found it important to support the parents and provide comfort. Child health care nurses had positive experiences in using the EPDS screening for mothers and wished for a screening instrument for new fathers.