“Postpartum Depression Affects 10% To 20% Of Women After

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).

Thesis: Postpartum depression is a mood disorder that can greatly effect new mothers. Knowing how to recognize their symptoms and treating it can greatly increase chances of a healthy, happy living.

Often the time after birth is a filled with joy and happiness due to the arrival of a new baby. However, for some mothers the birth of a baby leads to some complicated feelings that are unexpected. Up to 85% of postpartum woman experience a mild depression called “baby blues” (Lowdermilk, Perry, Cashion, & Alden, 2012). Though baby blues is hard on these mothers, another form of depression, postpartum depression, can be even more debilitating to postpartum woman. Postpartum depression affects about 15% (Lowdermilk et al., 2012) of postpartum woman. This disorder is not only distressing to the mother but to the whole family unit. This is why it is important for the nurse to not only recognize the signs and symptoms of a mother with postpartum depression, but also hopefully provide preventative care for the benefit of everyone involved.

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.

In summary, postpartum depression is the most widespread complication of childbirth, and the lack of diagnosis in postpartum depression cases results in the deterioration of their conditions. Deterioration arises in the form of progression stages of postpartum depression, and it varies from a case to another. Thus, preventive measures ought to be taken by detecting the onset of postpartum depression and providing early treatment. Also, the implications drawn from the aforementioned details may aid mental healthcare providers in the pursuit of better treatment

The Center for Disease Control estimates that 1 in 20 people suffer from depression (2014). Although widely recognized and somewhat easy to diagnose, depression is an ignored and almost hidden, disease. In women, the statistics are especially grim for those who are pregnant or were recently pregnant. A great number of women suffer from postpartum depression; an illness which is often overlooked, misdiagnosed and untreated. Postpartum depression (PPD) has been defined as an emotional disorder that occurs in an estimated 10-15% of all women after childbirth (Liberto, 2010). Postpartum depression not only impacts the mother, but can cause long-term psychological challenges for the baby and create emotional turmoil for all family members.

Postpartum Depression also referred to as “the baby blues” is depression that is suffered by a mother following the birth of her child that typically arises from the combination of hormonal changes and fatigue, as well as the psychological adjustment to becoming a mother. Most mothers will feel depressed or anxious after the birth of their child, however it turns into postpartum depression when is lasts longer than two weeks, and if treatment is not sought after a month, it could continue to worsen severely.

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a range of depressive symptoms that women may experience after giving birth. It’s onset within the first month after birth. Many studies define the “postpartum period” at a minimum of 3 months up to a year after childbirth (Chaudron, Szilagyi, Campbell, Mounts, & McInerny, 2007). Symptoms range in severity and the timing post childbirth, peaking at about six weeks after delivery for major depression and two to three months for minor depression. Women can experience another peak of depressive symptoms 6 months after birth (Earls,

Postpartum blues are common and natural for women to experience. Postpartum depression, however, “is a serious disorder that occurs in about ten percent of births” (Neeb’s, 324). Signs and symptoms of postpartum depression include anxiety, irritability, loss of interest in new baby, withdrawn, sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, poor concentration, and irrational guilt (Neeb’s, 325). Factors that contribute to postpartum depression are hormone fluctuations, family history of depression, stressful relationship with partner, pregnancy under age 20, or lack of social support (Neeb’s, 325). It is important to encourage the new mother to ask for help if she is experiencing any symptoms of postpartum

According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, depression is “a psychoneurotic or psychotic disorder marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty in thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal tendencies.” According to the definition of the fourth version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), postpartum depression “may include any nonpsychotic depressive disorder during the first four weeks of postpartum, according to research criteria during the first year after birth. The exact cause of postpartum depression is not yet known, and most researchers believe that postpartum depression is a bio-psycho-social problem. So far, the biological aspect of the disease is explained by changing the levels of estrogen and progesterone during pregnancy, and by decrease of hormone levels after birth. Psychological correlates are often associated with low self-esteem, pessimism as a personality trait, bad strategies of coping with stress, mood swings and emotional reactions. The social aspect of the disease is associated with the existential conditions of pregnant woman, support of partners and education level. Actually, ”it is estimated that on average 15% of women, regardless of the pregnancy outcome, are suffering from postpartum depression.”(Fazlagić. 2011,) In United States, postpartum

Postpartum depression (PPD) is the most common complication of childbirth, affecting 10-15% of postpartum women. (Murray & McKinney, 2014) The American Psychiatric Association (2013) defines “peripartum depression” as a period of depression with onset during pregnancy or within 4 weeks after childbirth that lasts at least 2 weeks. Women of all ages, ethnic groups, educational levels, and social status are affected by PPD. According to Murray & McKinney (2014) there are a number of risk factors that contribute to PPD including: depression during pregnancy or previous PPD (strong predictors), first pregnancy, hormonal fluctuations that follow childbirth, medical problems during pregnancy, personality characteristics, marital dysfunction, anger

First-time mothers are more susceptible to experiencing Postpartum Depression (PPD) and less likely to receive treatment for this disorder. PPD can be difficult to diagnose because women are often self -reporting and less likely to be forthcoming with their symptoms and detecting PPD becomes a public health problem (Yonkers, 2001, p. 1856). PPD is a health concern because it impacts the woman, baby, and family members especially if PPD goes untreated. There are several factors that need to be taken into consideration for women who may be at a greater risk for experiencing depression during the PPD period. A woman may begin experiencing symptoms after three months of delivering the child and experiencing physical and

Having a baby is stressful enough, but imagine also having a disorder because of your hormones level getting unbalanced. Postpartum depression has been affecting women all over the world. Even though there's no single cause for this sickness which many women are emotionally suffering from, Scientist have found some ways to cure it.

Postpartum Depression is a mental health issue that affects many women when they deliver their baby (Leger et al., 2015). Postpartum depression can be stopped when mothers notice the beginning symptoms called Baby Blues (Tam et al., 2001). Baby blues are usually shown on the third or fourth day of having your child (Tam et al., 2001). Some of the symptoms with Baby blues include feeling slight weepiness, short temper, and in a depressed mood

The psychological phase following labor and delivery is one that accounts for a spike in depressive episodes on the part of the mother according to findings in Dr. Katon’s cohort study. In the introduction section, Katon, Russo, and Gavin (2014) claim that the postpartum phase is a high-risk period for the emergence of depressive episodes. Systematic reviews indicate that 7% to 13% of women at some stage of their lives will experience recurrent episodes of PPD (Katon et al., 2014). Victims of severe PPD have higher chances of developing future depressive occurrences. Katon et al. (2014) use the existing knowledge about PPD to develop an implicit research question, which states, "How do socio-demographic aspects, depression experiences, health risk behaviors, pre-pregnancy medical illnesses, birth outcomes, and pregnancy-associated diseases contribute to the development of postpartum depression (PPD)?" They argue that the existing literature does not focus on a broad range of potential risk factors for PDD. Thus, the research aims to study a wide variety of risk factors for the disease to bridge this knowledge gap.