Artigo:

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a serious mood disorder that requires attention from health professionals. This study aims to discern its main risk factors. A literature review was performed in the Scielo and NESCON databases and through the descriptor 'postpartum depression' and the filters 'Brazil' as country, language 'Portuguese', 'health sciences',' citable ',' original articles ',' review articles' and 'full text available' 6 articles were selected. Three factors were defined with the highest risk for the development of the disorder: psychiatric history (especially, the history of depression), social vulnerability and pregnancy acceptance. The prevalence of PPD is estimated at about 10 to 20%, which corroborates the approach to public health and the preparation of professionals who accompany the pregnant woman. During care it is important to assess the context of this woman and the possible factors associated with PPD. Thus, throughout the prenatal period, the bio-psycho-social approach and the provision of information about PPD are indispensable in order to avoid prejudices related to psychological distress.