Postpartum Depression Family Health

Family System Theory (FST) is defined as a social unit in which each member of the family cannot be understood in isolation from one another, but rather as a part of their family (Family System Theory, n.d.). Consequently, In order to be a system, the behavior of each family member should be in a pattern as well as repetitive. However, all family systems are unique; in conjunction with differentiation among individuals in each family. Equilibrium in a family system is maintaining the same patterns and behaviors, disruption results in imbalance. In order to maintain homeostasis each family member must enforce their role.

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.

The postpartum period is about going through change and transition from a woman to a new mother. This is a time where mothers restore muscle tone and connective tissue in the body after the birth of the baby. Although there is a dramatic change during the postpartum period, women’s body is nonetheless not fully stored to pre-pregnant physiology until about 6 months post-delivery (Osailan, 6). At this time, women need to receive special health and social support to prevent problems such as postpartum depression. During this period, culture plays a major role in the way a woman perceives and prepares for her birthing experience. In fact, the notions of birth and postnatal care vary considerably with cultural beliefs and traditional practices. Each culture has its own values, beliefs and practices related to pregnancy and birth (Osailan,1). In the United States, after a short hospital stay, moms and babies are sent home because it is expected for mothers to heal within 42 days after giving birth. Whereas in other societies like Mexico, the postpartum recovery is active long enough until the new mother is fully healed (Brenhouse). In the article, “Why Are America’s Postpartum Practices So Rough on New Mothers?” by Hilary Brenhouse, the author states, “With these rituals comes an acknowledgment, familial and federal, that the woman needs relief more at this time than at any other—especially if she has a career to return to—and that it takes weeks, sometimes months, to properly

Postpartum Depression is important because too often it affects the mother, her spouse, and the newborn child. This affects the relationship between the mother and child based on Erikson’s Psychosocial developmental Theory and the idea of trust vs. mistrust. If the child’s basic needs are not met that could lead to mistrust, anxiety, and insecurities. This could also lead to Reactive Attention Disorder, where the neglect a child experiences leads to difficulty making relationships. It’s also found to be more likely in mothers of colicky babies because if the child cries a lot the mothers are less likely to make an emotional connection.

This journal article focuses on postpartum depression and how it differentiates from other disorders. This paticuarl article however focuses on defining the different types of depression within this catagorey and looks into clinical involvement as well as recognsisng risk elements and sysmtoms that allow it to be characterized from other mood and anxiety disorders. Beck (2006) finds that persons who where most at risk of this disorder most commently had stressful lives, with a history of mental illness. This article also concludes that postpartum depression can lead into server physosi, which is in need of immediate intervention and that this mental state can lead women to be dangerous to themselves of there children and clearly states that they should never be left alone. Overall this article is paticually usuful as a researcher as it clearly describes the differences in distinguishing the types of depression as well as the servierty of postpartum depression which can be underrecognsied.

According to Minuchin (1985), six basic principles outline the Family Systems theory. Each principle describes the function in which a family and its subsystems operate and the inextricable relationships within the system. The first principle of Minuchin’s (1985) theory implies that each member develops and is enveloped within the family unit, while the second principle states that there is a continuous loop in which each member feeds the behaviours of another. Thirdly, family systems have homeostatic elements which restore the family back to its equilibrium when disarrayed (Minuchin, 1985).

At the beginning of the twentieth century, women were treated in a far different manner than they are in today’s time. Their role as a woman and the way they were treated in the medical department has been a major change from then to now. In some cases, the role that women were expected to partake in could have been the cause of depression and many other mental illnesses. Many factors will support this claim due to the roles that were enforced on women in the early 1900’s. For many women in this time period, were expected to be stay at home mothers and take care of the children. With the lack of individual freedom, women would have become tired of their roles and desired for more. In “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the narrator was fixed in her own

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.

The Center for Disease Control estimates that 1 in 20 people suffer from depression (2014). Although widely recognized and somewhat easy to diagnose, depression is an ignored and almost hidden, disease. In women, the statistics are especially grim for those who are pregnant or were recently pregnant. A great number of women suffer from postpartum depression; an illness which is often overlooked, misdiagnosed and untreated. Postpartum depression (PPD) has been defined as an emotional disorder that occurs in an estimated 10-15% of all women after childbirth (Liberto, 2010). Postpartum depression not only impacts the mother, but can cause long-term psychological challenges for the baby and create emotional turmoil for all family members.

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

The overview of this article is postpartum depression in rural Unites States communities. Researchers search to find the causes and effects of postpartum depression in rural US communities. There are many reasons this is a problem because it not only effects women but it effects children, the family unit as a whole, communities and many other areas as well. There are people that move to rural areas because the cost of living can be cheaper and a family that is trying to save money could view rural home life as a way to save money. There can be a downside though this becomes the lack of quality healthcare, poor education opportunities, distance is typically too far for many to be able to see quality services this all aides in the problems with Postpartum Depression. Nurses are the frontline in spotting postpartum depression and there needs to be more screening for this major problem.

Depression is a major public health problem that is twice as common in women as men during the childbearing years. Postpartum depression is defined as an episode of non-psychotic depression according to standardized diagnostic criteria with onset within 1 year of childbirth (Stewart D., et. al, 2003, p. 4). For women aged 15 to 44 years around the world, Postpartum Depression is second to HIV/AIDS, in terms of total disability (World Health Organization, 2001). Depression has a profound impact on parameters of interpersonal behavior. Post-Partum depression

In the United States, as well as many other countries and cultures, postpartum depression is prevalent, but many times overlooked or not diagnosed. Postpartum depression is a “mood disorder that occurs with alarming frequency with documented prevalence of 10% to 15% during the first 3 months after delivery” (Horowitz, et. al, 2013, p. 287). Throughout hospitals, nurses are being educated about postpartum depression, which allows them to educate patients on what postpartum depression is and how to recognize the signs. If unrecognized and left untreated, women are at an increased risk of future depressive episodes and functional impairment (Katon et. al, 2014). There are many initiatives in place to increase the amount of screening and education that is occurring for postpartum depression.

People lose interest in things they used to enjoy and may withdraw from others.” While the CMHA does not explicitly note in its definition that both men and women may experience this mental illness, its use of the words “some” and “people,” instead of women, can be seen as suggesting that both sexes are susceptible. The assertion that both men and women can experience postpartum depression is corroborated by a study done by Escribà-Agüir and Artazcoz (2011). Despite the position of these two sources, Thurtle (1995) explicitly notes that diagnosis of postpartum depression should be “restricted to mothers with a depressive illness,” asserting that this pathology exclusively affects women. Being that Thurtle’s study was published in 1995, within a decade of researchers beginning to study sex differences, and similarities, and only a year after women were allowed to participate in biomedical research, it is likely that they did not consider investigating the illness through a gendered lens.