Effects, Symptoms and Treatments of Postpartum Depression
Depression affects an average 19 million Americans, and the vast majority of these are women. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression affected 20 % of the world's population in 1990. Included in these statistics, 6 % of those affected were men in the United States, and 12% were US women. Depression can stem from many different reasons - hormonal imbalances, diet, emotional stress, medical conditions, physical ailments, environment and postpartum (the time period after giving birth).
I spoke with Christine Harris, a psychology professor and author of 'The Pregnancy Journal' about post partum depression. Christine says "The vast majority of women, upwards of 85%, experience some kind of postpartum reaction." PPD is one of the ways that women suffer a reaction. Christine goes on to say, "Postpartum reactions have been identified into three categories in order of increasing severity- postpartum blues or baby blues, postpartum depression, and postpartum psychosis. Most commonly, mothers experience these reactions the first week after childbirth. (It should be noted that the symptoms of postpartum blues are typically less severe than the negative symptoms after other surgical procedures, that positive mood ratings after birth tend to be higher than negative mood ratings, and that depression is generally more common in the third trimester of pregnancy than in the first ten days postpartum.) Baby Blues?
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Most women have heard the term postpartum blues or baby blues. Christine says "postpartum blues involves depressed mood, tearfulness, irritability, and appetite disturbances. The best predictor of the postpartum blues is experiencing depression during pregnancy, having a night-time labor, and/or a history of sleep disruption in the latter stages. It tends to be intermittent and usually disappears without medication within 4 weeks." Or Post Partum Depression?
How many new mothers suffer from PPD? According to Christine, "Postpartum depression affects 7-26% of new mothers and is characterized by feelings of sadness, fearfulness, and uncontrollable crying -- essentially, a clinical depression that follows childbirth."
There are different causes of PPD. "Postpartum depression may be caused by the sudden emotional, physical, and hormonal changes that accompany birth, as well as by emotional or situational factors. For example, unemployed women, those with lower occupational status, poor inner city women, and recent immigrants, particularly those who were not working or who had given birth to a second child, were found to be at higher risk."
The time that PPD lasts also varies. "In 6-10% of women, postpartum depression continues for six weeks; in 4% the depression persists for a year or longer," says Christine.
What about the treatments? According to Christine, "Treatment is generally recommended for persistent postpartum depression. However, only 1/3 of women who were depressed 12-18 months after childbirth reported seeking any form of professional assistance (each woman's case is unique, so medication for breastfeeding moms would need to be evaluated by each health care provider.)" Symptoms of Post Partum Depression
In post partum depression the first step in recovery is recognizing the symptoms. Post partum depression is not to be confused with its evil counterpart - post partum psychosis. It was post partum psychosis that Andrea Yates, the infamous mother who drowned her five young children in Texas, suffered from. Post partum psychosis requires invasive medical therapy and treatments, while post partum depression can be more easily overcome. Post partum psychosis only affects one or two women for every one thousand who suffer from some type of post partum depression.
Symptoms of PPD include:
Persistent sadness or depressed moodLoss of interest in ordinary activities, including sexDecreased energy, fatigue, lethargySleep disturbances - oversleeping or insomniaWeight gain or loss, associated with eating habitsLack of concentrationFeelings of guilt, hopelessness, worthlessnessSuicidal thoughtsIrritability and agitationExcessive cryingAches and pains that don't respond to treatmentDrug abuse
If you exhibit at least five of these symptoms, you may be suffering from depression. A visit with your doctor will aid in determining the diagnosis. more...
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