About Postpartum Depression
Learn about the disease, illness and/or condition Postpartum Depression including: symptoms, causes, treatments, contraindications and conditions at ClusterMed.info.
Postpartum Depression
Postpartum Depression |
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Postpartum Depression InformationPostpartum depression facts
How do doctors diagnose postpartum depression?There is no one test that definitively indicates that someone has PPD. Therefore, health care providers diagnose this disorder by gathering comprehensive medical, family, and mental health history. Patients tend to benefit when the health care provider takes into account their client's entire life and background. This includes, but is not limited to, the person's gender, sexual orientation, cultural, religious, ethnic background, and socioeconomic status. The health care professional will also either perform a physical examination or request that the individual's primary care doctor perform one. The medical examination will usually include lab tests to evaluate the person's general health and as part of screening the individual for medical conditions that might contribute to mental health symptoms.Postpartum depression must be distinguished from what is commonly called the "baby blues," which tend to occur in most new mothers. In the brief mood problem of baby blues, symptoms like crying, sadness, irritability, anxiety, and confusion can occur. In contrast to the symptoms of PPD, the symptoms of the baby blues tend to peak around the fourth day after delivery, resolve by the 10th day and do not tend to affect the individual's ability to function.Postpartum psychosis is a psychiatric emergency that requires immediate intervention because of the danger that the sufferer might kill their baby or themselves. Postpartum psychosis usually begins within the first two weeks after delivery. Symptoms of this disorder tend to involve extremely disorganized thinking, bizarre behavior, unusual hallucinations, and delusions. Postpartum psychosis is often a symptom of bipolar disorder, also called manic depression. Is it possible to prevent postpartum depression?Intensive nursing intervention in the form of visits to new mothers by a nurse can help prevent the development of postpartum depression. What are causes and risk factors for postpartum depression?Similar to many other mental health conditions, there is thought to be a genetic vulnerability to developing postpartum depression.Rapid changes in the levels of reproductive hormones that occur during pregnancy and after delivery are thought to be biological factors in the development of this condition. People with any history of depression or anxiety prior to the pregnancy are at risk for developing depression during the pregnancy or soon after delivery. Interestingly, men are also known to experience changes in a number of hormones during the peripartum period that can contribute to the development of PPD. Also, the stress of any medical complications as a result of the pregnancy or delivery, as well as the stress that is inherent in caring for a newborn are considerable factors.Further risk factors for developing postpartum depression include low self-esteem, low socioeconomic status, a lack of having social support before and after the birth of the baby, and marital problems, including any history of intimate partner violence. What are postpartum depression and peripartum depression? Are there different types of peripartum depression?Postpartum depression, now included in the describer of depression with peripartum onset (during pregnancy or within a month after giving birth), may be the most common problem associated with childbirth. It has been described as afflicting prominent historical figures like author/suffragist Charlotte Perkins Gilman in the 19th century. This illness is characterized by depression that a woman experiences either during pregnancy or within four weeks of giving birth, affecting about 3%-6% of women who give birth, up to 20% when only women with postpartum depression, rather than including those who are depressed during the pregnancy are counted. Peripartum depression occurs after one out of every eight deliveries in the United States, affecting about half a million women every year. Peripartum depression is also called major depression with peripartum onset. Delusional thinking after childbirth, called postpartum psychosis, affects about one in every 500 to 1,000 women.Notably, postpartum depression is not an illness that is exclusive to mothers. Fathers can experience it, as well. As with women, symptoms in men can result in fathers having difficulty caring for themselves and for their children when suffering from postpartum depression.Unfortunately, up to 50% of individuals with postpartum depression or postpartum psychosis are never detected. That can result in devastating outcomes for the patient and family. For example, postpartum psychosis is thought to have been a potential factor in Andrea Yates drowning her five children in 2001 and was explored as a factor in Susan Smith drowning her two sons in 1994. What are postpartum depression symptoms and signs?Symptoms of postpartum depression begin either during pregnancy or within four weeks after having a baby and include the following:
What are the treatments for postpartum depression?Educational programs and support groupsTreatment of postpartum depression in men and women is similar. Both mothers and fathers with this condition have been found to greatly benefit from being educated about the illness, as well as from the support of other parents who have been in this position.PsychotherapiesPsychotherapy ("talk therapy") involves working with a trained therapist to determine methods to solve problems and cope with all forms of depression, including postpartum depression. It can be a powerful intervention and may produce, positive biochemical changes in the brain. This is a particularly important alternative to treatment with medication in women who are breastfeeding. In general, these therapies take weeks to months to complete. More intense counseling may be needed for longer when treating very severe depression or other psychiatric symptoms.Interpersonal therapy (IPT): This helps to alleviate depressive symptoms and helps the person with PPD develop more effective skills for coping with social and interpersonal relationships. IPT employs two strategies to achieve these goals.
What is the prognosis of postpartum depression?Women who have suffered from postpartum depression are much more likely to have depression again sometime in the future. They are also at risk for being the victim of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, as well as for developing tobacco or other substance abuse. Children of mothers with PPD are at risk for medical emotional challenges as a result of problematic relationships with their mother and of receiving compromised care from their mother. What research is being done on postpartum depression?The current research on postpartum depression includes an increased focus on this condition in men, as well as potential natural remedies based on surges in certain brain chemicals associated with the postpartum period. Where can people get more information about postpartum depression?Jennifer Mudd Houghtaling Postpartum Depression Foundation200 E. Delaware Apt. 3DChicago, IL 60611Phone: 312-867-7239Email: [email protected]Kids Health -- Postpartum Depression and Caring for Your Babyhttp://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/ppd.htmlPostpartum Education for Parentshttp://www.sbpep.orgPostpartum Progresshttp://postpartumprogress.comWomenshealth.gov helpline (English and Spanish)Phone: 800-994-9662TDD: 888-220-5446Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., EST. (closed on federal holidays) Where can people get support for postpartum depression?Baby Blues Connectionhttp://www.babybluesconnection.orgToll free: 866-616-3752Online Postpartum Depression Support Grouphttp://www.ppdsupportpage.com Postpartum DadsEmail: [email protected]Postpartum Education for ParentsPO Box 261Santa Barbara, CA 93116Email: [email protected]PEP Warmline: 805-564-3888Our free 24-hour service provides confidential one-on-one support from trained volunteers who are parents just like you.Postpartum Stress Centerhttp://www.postpartumstress.comPostpartum Support InternationalEmail: [email protected]800-944-4773503-894-9453 |
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