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The Concept Of Coping : Postpartum Depression And Anxiety Essay

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The Concept of Coping When an individual encounters a physiologic or psychologic stressor, a response is necessary to adapt to or modify the impact of the stressor (Giddens, 2013). Some responses to stressors may be productive and helpful, whereas others may be counterproductive and harmful (Giddens, 2013). The concept of coping is a relationship between a person and their environment involving human cognition, individual perception, and behavior (Giddens, 2013). The two exemplars that will be addressed in the following sections are postpartum depression and anxiety.
Postpartum Depression Postpartum depression (PPD) can be described as a period of depression that begins following childbirth lasting more than two weeks (Camp, 2013). Up to 15% of women suffer from depression during the first three months after delivery and the cause of PPD remains unknown (Camp, 2013). Research has shown that PPD may result from a combination of numerous stressors encountered by the family unit including biochemical, genetic, psychosocial factors, and everyday life stress (Camp, 2013). Some examples of these stressors include financial strain, fatigue, insufficient support from significant other, being a single mother, and medical complications from the pregnancy (Camp, 2013). There are numerous factors that place a mother at an increased risk of postpartum depression after delivery. The following are risk factors: first pregnancy, ambivalence about maintaining pregnancy, history

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