Postpartum Depression

7 Pages 1856 Words

and social stresses of a woman's life, childbirth is gaining an increasing amount of recognition as a major risk factor in the growth of mental sickness. Postpartum depression is defined as a mild to moderate mood disturbance occurring between birth and six months post birth, rather than the less frequent, more severe postpartum psychosis, or the more prevalent but transient blues (Crokenberg & Leerkes, 2003). It is clear that the postpartum period is unique in the development of mental illness. As stated by O’hara & Zekoski (1988), approximately 10% to 30% of mothers report clinical levels of depression during the postpartum period.
The “Baby Blues”
Although the current literature divides the spectrum of postpartum mood disorders into three distinct categories, these classifications frequently blend at the margins. At the mildest end of the spectrum is the "maternity blues" or "baby blues." Because this condition arises after 40% to 85% of deliveries, practitioners and patients often view it as a "normal" phenomenon. Nonetheless, patients and their families are distressed by the patients' depressed mood, irritability, anxiety, confusion, crying spells, and disturbances in sleep and appetite. These symptoms peak between postpartum days 3 and 5, and typically resolve spontaneously within 24 to 72 hours. According to Marcotty (2003), The baby blues is common and is considered a normal part of childbirth. However its duration is short, typically starting within the first five days of childbirth, and disappearing within a few weeks, mothers with the blues become emotionally sensitive, weepy and irritable. This stage in postpartum is particularly common among many woman and typically...