Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Healthcare Providers Regarding Postpartum Depression in Shendi, Sudan — 2025

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a
common mood disorder that may occur after
childbirth and can harm maternal well-being, mother–
Data Analysis: Responses were entered and
analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social
Sciences (SPSS), version [insert version].
Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means,
standard deviations) summarized participants’
characteristics and KAP responses. Associations
between demographic variables and KAP scores were
tested using Chi-square or t-tests as appropriate.
Statistical significance was defined as p < 0.05.

infant bonding, and family functioning. In low-resource
settings such as Sudan, PPD is often underdiagnosed
because of limited training, cultural stigma, and few
mental health services. Healthcare providers (HCPs)
are essential for detection and referral, but their
readiness (knowledge, attitudes, practices — KAP) is
not well known in Shendi.
Objective: To assess knowledge, attitudes, and
practices of healthcare providers toward postpartum
depression in Shendi, Sudan, and to identify perceived
barriers and suggestions for improving PPD care
Conclusion: Although general awareness of PPD
exists among HCPs in Shendi, practical screening and
standardized management are limited. Strengthening
training, implementing culturally adapted screening,
and integrating psychosocial support into postnatal
care are recommended to improve maternal mental
health outcomes.
This study demonstrated that healthcare providers in
Shendi have a high level of theoretical awareness
regarding postpartum depression, with 97% identifying
common symptoms. However, clinical detection
remains very low, as 79% of respondents reported
identifying only 0–10 cases per 100 postpartum
women. This gap reflects a significant underdiagnosis
problem. The main barriers include shortage of mental
health specialists, limited availability of psychiatrists
(only 16% available always), and lack of standardized
screening tools. In addition, some key social risk
factors such as poverty and unplanned pregnancy were
not well recognized, similar to findings from previous
studies in LMICs [3,8,15]. Although SSRIs are used by
most providers (67%), treatment approaches remain
variable, reflecting the absence of unified clinical
guidelines. Therefore, improving maternal mental
health outcomes in Sudan requires not only increasing
knowledge, but also transforming practice through
structured training, routine screening, and stronger
referral pathways.