Postpartum Depression And Postpartum Psychosis

I believe that mental health is not well discussed, or known, in today’s culture. People could struggle with mental health daily and others could have no idea. There are many different types of mental health issues, and one specific issue that is rarely discussed is postpartum depression. Postpartum depression is a specific type of depression that new mothers can experience after the birth of their child. (Schacter, Gilbert, Wegner, Nock, 2012). The changing hormones a mother can experience directly after birth cause this condition. Postpartum depression can cause a mother to feel sad, guilty, and even experience thoughts of suicide. Postpartum depression may be discussed in the text, but the causes and even the treatments are not.

Postpartum depression, which is the most prevalent of all maternal depressive disorders, is said to be the hidden epidemic of the 21st century. (1) Despite its high prevalence rate of 10-15% and increased incidence, postpartum depression often goes undetected, and thus untreated. (2) Nearly 50% of postpartum depression cases are untreated. As a result, these cases are put at a high risk of being exposed to the severe and progressive nature of their depressive disorder. (3) In other words, the health conditions of untreated postpartum depression cases worsen and progress to one of their utmost stages, and they are: postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder, postpartum panic disorder, postpartum post traumatic stress, and postpartum psychosis.

“Postpartum psychosis is a severe psychotic syndrome that is estimated to occur after 1.1 to 4 of every 1000 deliveries. More than half of the affected women meet diagnostic criteria for major depression” (Weissman and Olfson 800). Postpartum depression is a further common mental illness than postpartum psychosis, however Margery Kempe displays serious symptoms. Several readers believe that Margery Kempe was a woman who devoted her life to God, however, after her first child was born Margery Kempe was recognizably sick due to the feelings that she should not live. In The Book of Margery Kempe, the first autobiography in the English Language, Margery Kempe displays the symptoms of hallucinations, crying episodes, and depression to show that she has postpartum psychosis.

“Postpartum depression affects 10% to 20% of women after delivery, regardless of maternal age, race, parity, socioeconomic status, or level of education”.( Consise) Postpartum depression is a major depression episode that occurs after childbirth affecting not only the mother but also the child and family members. After the delivery of the placenta extending for about six weeks this is considered as as the postpartum period. This a critical period for the mother and new born physiological and psychological because the woman’s body is returning to a non-pregnant state in which hormones, sleep parttters, emotions and relationship are changing. Therefore, up to 80% of mothers experience the "baby blues during the first week in which

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.

Mothers who have brought into this world a blessing have been preparing themselves for a big change in their life. They have been learning and educating themselves about how to be a good mother. Many mothers find it really hard to transition from being an independent woman without children to becoming a mother (Corrigan, Kwasky, & Groh, 2015). Adapting to motherhood can be a drastic change, and usually creates challenges that lead to feeling overwhelmed (Leger & Letourneau, 2015). When a newly mother begins experiencing stress or becomes emotional then there can be a possibility that they can encounter Postpartum Depression (Leger et al., 2015). Postpartum depression can be seen and experienced in many different ways, it all varies on every mother (Corrigan et al., 2015). Many different mental health issues can be seen including baby blues, postpartum depression, postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder, and the most serious, postpartum psychosis (Tam & Leslie, 2001).

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.

Once a woman is assessed of having high risk of suffering from postpartum psychosis or she is already diagnosed it is extremely essential a close monitoring of her condition with the aid of a multidisciplinary team. This team should include a distinguished obstetrician ideally with perinatal expertise, an experienced midwife, a psychiatrist with perinatal experience, a nurse (ideally with psychiatric experience) and a General Pathologist. These experts will be able to cocoon the mother and address her symptoms, fears and phobias in and out of every aspect in order to make a full recovery.

As mental health in America is finally being addressed and more research is seen, it is important to look at the potential causes or correlations that lead to common diagnoses for patients. According to Brummelte and Galea (2010), “depression affects approximately 1 in 5 people, with the incidence being 2-3x higher in women than in men.” Postpartum depression (PPD), a subset of this debilitating disease, has an estimated prevalence rate of 13-19% with another estimated 50% that are undiagnosed (O’hara and McCabe, 2013). As a whole, it has the same symptoms as major depressive disorder but diagnosis occurs within 0-4 weeks of giving birth (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Part of this lack of diagnosis is due to a multitude of healthcare

Postpartum Psychosis (PP) is a severe and debilitating psychiatric illness with acute onset in the days following childbirth (Heron, J., Gilbert, N., Dolman, C., Shah, S., Beare, I., Dearden, S., Ives, J. 2012). Psychosis following childbirth affects 1-2 mothers per 1000 deliveries (McGrath, L., Peters, S., Wieck, A., & Wittkowski, A. 2013). Onset is rapid and functioning is severely affected (Mcgrath, L., et.al.,2013). The typical presentation of postpartum psychosis is a complex mixture of mood disorders (ranging from mania to depression), psychotic symptoms, and confusion (Fassier, T., M.D., Guffon, N., M.D., Acquaviva, C., D'Amato, Thierry, MD, PhD,

According to statistics, up to 20 % of new mothers may experience postpartum depression in the months after giving birth. Up to 85% of women have bouts of crying, mood swings, anxiety, feeling overwhelmed, sad or fatigued after the birth of a child, in a condition called “the baby blues.” It can last up to two weeks and is said to be normal. However, these are the same symptoms of PPD. Symptoms of PPD vary from person to person, between men and women, and now can even start before the baby is born. On top of the colossal size of symptoms seen in depression alone now we introduce another unwavering set. These also include feelings of extreme sadness/shame/guilt, loneliness, hopelessness, fears about hurting the baby, and feelings of disconnect

Postpartum psychosis or PPP does not affect many women, according to the article “Depression During & After Pregnancy: You Are Not Alone”, 1 or 2 in 1,000 women suffer from this (“Depression During”, n.d.). Typically, more mothers have what is known as “baby blues”, which include symptoms of irritability, tiredness, and mild confusion (Jackson-Best, F., 2016). Once

The postpartum time period is depicted as a joyful time for mothers, but in some cases it can be a time of calamity (Jevitt, Groer, Crist, Gonzalez, & Wagner, 2012). Postpartum Depression (PPD) in women after childbirth is a common occurrence. It happens in all races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic statuses. PPD is a severe depression that affects mothers after childbirth. It involves serious depression, sadness, and loneliness. Cheryl Tatano Beck is a nursing theorist who is known for her work and research with postpartum depression and the development of the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS) and the development of the Postpartum Depression Predictors Inventory (PDPI) (Alligood, 2014). She began her focus on obstetrical nursing after she graduated from Western Connecticut State University in 1970 (Alligood, 2014). Beck’s focus was first on studying women in labor and fetal monitoring (Alligood, 2014). She then moved to studying and researching PPD. Beck noticed that there was not much research done on the disorder (Alligood, 2014). Beck wrote her theory called “teetering on the edge,” as part of her doctorate thesis is 1993 (Alligood, 2014). This thesis focused on the importance of different risk factors and concepts regarding postpartum depression and is the foundation of her theory.

Consequently, the treatment for postpartum depression is more intense than that for the baby blues. Among the many treatments, many mothers undergo intense counseling, take antidepressants, or even experience hormone therapy ((3)).

Pregnancy is usually thought of as a taxing, yet rewarding and joyful time for an expectant mother. It takes a toll on not only a mother’s body, but also on her emotional well-being. A lack of appetite, energy, and strength are not uncommon among healthy mothers, and will not call for immediate attention from a physician. Although the psychological and physiological changes a woman goes through while pregnant can present themselves as depression-like symptoms, more often, they are the result of carrying a developing child. Despite the commonality of these symptoms it is important not to overlook these symptoms should they progress. Antenatal depression (depression that occurs while pregnant) and postpartum depression (depression that occurs