Negative Effects Of Postpartum Depression

Postpartum depression is one of the most common complications of childbearing with an estimated prevalence of 19.2% in the first three months after delivery (1). Depressive episodes (major and mild) may be experienced by approximately half of women during the first postpartum year (1). Characterized by depressed mood, loss of pleasure or interest in daily activities, feelings of worthlessness and guilt, irritability, sleep and eating disturbances (2), its etiology is multi-faceted and complex (3;4).

I believe that mental health is not well discussed, or known, in today’s culture. People could struggle with mental health daily and others could have no idea. There are many different types of mental health issues, and one specific issue that is rarely discussed is postpartum depression. Postpartum depression is a specific type of depression that new mothers can experience after the birth of their child. (Schacter, Gilbert, Wegner, Nock, 2012). The changing hormones a mother can experience directly after birth cause this condition. Postpartum depression can cause a mother to feel sad, guilty, and even experience thoughts of suicide. Postpartum depression may be discussed in the text, but the causes and even the treatments are not.

Postpartum psychiatric disorders, particularly depression, has become the most underdiagnosed complication in the United States. It can lead to increased costs of medical care, inappropriate medical care, child abuse and neglect, discontinuation of breastfeeding, and family dysfunction and adversely affects early brain development (Earls, 2010). Over 400,000 infants are born to mothers that are depressed. One of 7 new mothers (14.5%) experience depressive episodes that impair maternal role function. An episode of major or minor depression that occurs during pregnancy or the first 12 months after birth is called perinatal or postpartum depression (Wisner, Chambers & Sit, 2006). Mothers with postpartum depression experience feelings of extreme sadness, anxiety, and exhaustion that may make it difficult for them to complete daily care activities for themselves or for others (Postpartum Depression). The six stages of postpartum are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance and PTSD. These stages may affect any women regardless of age, race, ethnicity, or economic status. However only a physician can diagnose a woman with postpartum depression. It does not occur because of something a mother does or does not do, it’s a combination of physical and emotional factors. After childbirth, the levels of hormones in a woman’s body quickly drop; which may lead to chemical changes in her brain (Postpartum Depression). Unbalanced hormones may trigger mood swings.

Postpartum depression, which is the most prevalent of all maternal depressive disorders, is said to be the hidden epidemic of the 21st century. (1) Despite its high prevalence rate of 10-15% and increased incidence, postpartum depression often goes undetected, and thus untreated. (2) Nearly 50% of postpartum depression cases are untreated. As a result, these cases are put at a high risk of being exposed to the severe and progressive nature of their depressive disorder. (3) In other words, the health conditions of untreated postpartum depression cases worsen and progress to one of their utmost stages, and they are: postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder, postpartum panic disorder, postpartum post traumatic stress, and postpartum psychosis.

The birthing process generally leaves women with overwhelming joy and happiness. However, some women do experience a period of postpartum blues lasting for a few days or at most a couple of weeks but goes away with the adjustment of having a baby (Postpartum Depression, 2013). A condition called Postpartum Depression Disorder (PPD) leaves a dark gray cloud over 10-20% of woman after birth that is recognized in individuals 3 weeks to a year after the delivery of their baby (Bobo & Yawn, 2014). PPD leaves new mothers feeling lonely, anxious, and hopeless (Bobo at el, 2014). Postpartum Depression is a cross cutting disorder that can affect any woman after the delivery of a baby regardless of race, socioeconomic status, age, or education level (Postpartum Depression, 2013). Although this disorder affects more than 10% of women the article Concise Review for Physicians and Other Clinicians: Postpartum Depression reports that less than half of women with PPD are actually diagnosed with this condition (Bobo at el, 2014). It is important that postpartum women and their support systems receive education on what PPD consist of and ways to recognize the signs and symptoms of PPD so that a diagnosis is not overlooked. Early diagnosis is important because early recognition and treatment of the disorder yields for better results when treating individuals with PPD. In this paper I will deliver information about PPD based on recent literature,

Postpartum depression (PPD) affects at least 10-20% of new mothers. However, the true incidence may be much higher due to the fact that screening is not considered to be a standard practice, leaving PPD undetected and untreated in many women (Schaar & Hall, 2014). Postpartum depression not only negatively affects the mother; it also has a negative impact on the infant. For this reason, it is important for the health care providers caring for pregnant and postpartum mothers to screen them for risk factors associated with PPD, as well as educate them on ways to lessen their chances of getting PPD. It is also important for the health care providers to screen for PPD with a standardized tool like the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and to take action in treating it when it is suspected or diagnosed.

As mental health in America is finally being addressed and more research is seen, it is important to look at the potential causes or correlations that lead to common diagnoses for patients. According to Brummelte and Galea (2010), “depression affects approximately 1 in 5 people, with the incidence being 2-3x higher in women than in men.” Postpartum depression (PPD), a subset of this debilitating disease, has an estimated prevalence rate of 13-19% with another estimated 50% that are undiagnosed (O’hara and McCabe, 2013). As a whole, it has the same symptoms as major depressive disorder but diagnosis occurs within 0-4 weeks of giving birth (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Part of this lack of diagnosis is due to a multitude of healthcare

Postpartum depression interferes with the care a mother is able to provide to her infant and can occur right after birth or up to several months later. The exact cause of postpartum depression (PPD) is not known but research has thought it can be related to changes in hormone levels and changes in lifestyle. Most women do experience the “baby blues” and feel anxious, tearful and irritated in the first weeks after delivery. These feelings however usually go away. Postpartum

[Daley et al.] states that symptoms of postpartum depression include decreased mood, fatigue, anxiety, thoughts of self-harm and poor mother-infant interactions(change wording). Women with post-partum depression have been reported to be at an increased risk for substance abuse, are more likely to miss gynecological and child health appointments, are more non-compliant with medical recommendations and are less likely to use preventative safety items like car seats and outlet covers (Ersek). Researchers state that women with postpartum depression are less likely to breastfeed and more

Postpartum depression (PPD) affects about eighty-five percent of new mothers and persists as long as a year after childbirth (Texas Medical Association, 2015). In spite of the scope of this problem and the benefits of screening women, it’s not standard procedure (New York State Department Of Health, 2016). This policy brief was written for healthcare providers that treat new mothers at risk for PPD with the goal of improving screening and the number of women receiving appropriate treatment. The recommendations address measures to improve early identification and follow-up care for women found to have PPD.

A woman’s body goes through many changes during pregnancy and after childbirth. Women can experience “postpartum baby blues” a few days after they deliver. During the postpartum baby blues, mothers may experience “depression, fatigue, insomnia, headache, anxiety, sadness, and anger” (Lowdermilk, Perry & Cashion, 2014). If the symptoms do not subside in a few weeks post-delivery, a mother may be diagnosed with postpartum depression (PPD). The estimated prevalence of mother experiencing postpartum depression is around 10-15% (Lowdermilk et al., 2014). Postpartum depression can affect a woman’s everyday life and how she responds to having a new baby in her life. She may not feel as though she can take care of her baby which can become a problem.

Post-partum depression or PPD can be experienced by not only the new mother but the partner and new born as well. However given the high rate in which it affects the partner, the availability of resources that can be used to resolve PPD is very low. There is also a substantial lack of knowledge about PPD and its effects of the new father; this lack of information often leads to negative stigmas and judgment. Although the notion that Fathers can experience PPD is new and often accepted by medical professionals, the complexities of PPD that are presented in our society are the lack of information and resources given to the new fathers who suffer from PPD.

Almost ten percent of recent mothers experience postpartum depression ((3)), occurring anytime within the first year after childbirth ((3)). The majority of the women have the symptoms for over six months ((2)) . These symptoms include

Mothers who have brought into this world a blessing have been preparing themselves for a big change in their life. They have been learning and educating themselves about how to be a good mother. Many mothers find it really hard to transition from being an independent woman without children to becoming a mother (Corrigan, Kwasky, & Groh, 2015). Adapting to motherhood can be a drastic change, and usually creates challenges that lead to feeling overwhelmed (Leger & Letourneau, 2015). When a newly mother begins experiencing stress or becomes emotional then there can be a possibility that they can encounter Postpartum Depression (Leger et al., 2015). Postpartum depression can be seen and experienced in many different ways, it all varies on every mother (Corrigan et al., 2015). Many different mental health issues can be seen including baby blues, postpartum depression, postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder, and the most serious, postpartum psychosis (Tam & Leslie, 2001).

Women are significantly more likely to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital within the first four weeks postpartum than any other time in her life; roughly 75 percent of women experience a mild depression, or the “baby blues” (Perry et al., 2013, p. 593). Postpartum mood disorders can include depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and in rare cases, psychosis (Perry et al., 2013, p. 593).  In this paper, the writers will focus solely on postpartum depression (PPD), also known as perinatal mood disorder.  Mothers will often experience sadness and mood swings (Perry et al., 2013, p. 594). Some more severe symptoms include intense fears, anger, anxiety, and despondency, which often will not go away without intervention (Perry et