Postpartum Depression: A Serious Problem Among Women
Postpartum depression is a serious problem among women. Once thoughtof as a relatively minor phase within the postpartum cycle, it is now knownthat it can seriously impair the individual woman's ability to functionunder the stress of new parenthood and can seriously erode the family, at apoint of foundational transition. Over the last twenty years doctors andthe general public have demonstrated greater knowledge of the problem ofpostpartum depression through awareness and of coarse research. According to the British Columbia Reproductive Mental Health Programthe prevalence of postpartum depression is relatively high but has riskfactors associated with age, social support level and prior history ofeither previous postpartum depression or other forms of clinical The most vulnerable time for a woman to develop onset of mood disorders is during the postpartum period. Approximately 12- 16 % of women experience depression during the postpartum period. Adolescent mothers will experience depression more frequently. A diagnosis of depression may be missed in the postpartum period because of the demands of caring for a new infant. Changes in sleep, appet
50) It has beenmade clear over the last twenty years of research that postpartumdepression does have a clinical cause, clinical solutions such asmedication are limited by the pregnancy and nursing phases Pharmacotherapy during pregnancy has potential teratogenetic risk ( American Academy of Pediatrics, 1994), as most antidepressant medications cross the placenta; the few studies examining their fetal effects have been inconclusive ( Chambers et al. htm)Within such research are clues to the epidemiology, outward symptoms andpossible interventions for the problem. Most modernmedications, due to inability to test have unknown effects on thedevelopment of the fetus and the young infant. That time immediately following delivery, fromday one postpartum to around two years shows to be the time the individualis at greatest risk for the development of the complications associatedwith post partum depression, with risk and severity declining over time. Although conventional wisdom deems pregnancy a time of calm expectation and happiness, about 10 percent of pregnant women develop a major or minor depressive episode ( Spinelli, 1997a). ca/content/about_mental_illness/women. This problem area provides a rationale for postpartum patients to understand their problems and makes intuitive sense to most patients. The depressed person will draw a negative conclusion without the aid of supporting data. Depressed mothers differ from non-ill mothers in that the former are more negative, less positive, less contingently responsive, and more disengaged in interactions with their young children ( Bettes, 1988; Campbell, Cohn, & Meyers, 1995; Field, Healy, Goldstein, & Guthertz, 1990; Field et al. asp'cID=3974)Community awareness must be at the center of any serious focusedintervention tactics for a community at large. Especially in the case of the young mother, as single friends tend toremove themselves from your life as your life responsibilities change andopportunity to interact individually may be limited. Predisposing factors include a personal or family history of depression; marital problems; single parenthood; a large number of children; young age; and low education. The fetus develops behavioral responses quite early in gestation. 300)For this reason social support and clinical counseling treatments are oftenthe solution to early intervention and treatment for post partumdepression, in its mildest and most severe cases.
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