Premium Essay

Postpartum Depression: A Case Study

Submitted By
Words 427
Pages 2
The article I picked focuses on different types of treatments, for women suffering from Postpartum Depression.

Postpartum Depression (PPD) is a major public health problem. Postpartum depression is defined as an episode of non-psychotic depression according to standardized diagnostic criteria with onset within 4 weeks to 12 months of childbirth (Fitelson, 2011).Some of the causes of postpartum depression after few weeks after delivery of the baby include being a single mother, childcare stress with new mothers, maternal neuroticism, and difficult infant temperament when the infant cries, low self-esteem because the new mother is not organized or well prepared, and anxiety. Medically there are obstetric and pregnancy complications that can …show more content…
In these instances, antidepressant treatments are administered to women who develop PPD. Most of the treatments of postpartum depression are given to the women who do not breastfeed their child to avoid the side effect on the health of the infant. There are some medications available that treat depression such as fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, sertraline, venlafaxine, nefazodone, bupropion, and transdermal estrogen, which helps to reduce and improve depression severity (Fitelson, 2011). In order for the immune system of the infant to develop properly, it is advised that they should be breastfed for the first six months of life. Therefore it is crucial for researchers to find the nonpharmacologic treatment such as psychological, psychosocial, interpersonal therapy, massage, omega-3 fatty acids, exercise, and interventions that can help to reduce depression in new mothers so to promote a healthy mother and baby (Fitelson, 2011).Post-Partum depression is like any other mental disease and requires adequate attention. Women do not need to feel ashamed or guilty because of it. They should seek help for their own health and that of the new baby. Whichever method is used, either pharmacological or other alternative treatments, helping to get the new mother back to a state of “health” is more

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Postpartum Depression (PPD): A Case Study

...Postpartum depression (PPD) is a common complication of childbearing estimated at affecting women cross-culturally ranging from 7-20% (Donaldson-Myles, 2011; Fitelson, Kim, Baker, & Leight, 2011). There are many risk factors attributed to the development of PPD such as history of depression during pregnancy, history of anxiety during pregnancy, stressful life events, lack of social or partner support, low socioeconomic status, low oxytocin levels, as well as the use of formula for infant feeding (Donaldson-Myles, 2011; Stuebe, Grewen, & Meltzer-Brody, 2013; Fitelson et al., 2011). As PPD is a major public health concern for women and infant well-being research has found a wide range of treatment options ensuring individualized care. Postpartum...

Words: 936 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Fraternity

...POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION: LITERATURE REVIEW OF RISK FACTORS AND INTERVENTIONS Donna E. Stewart, MD, FRCPC E. Robertson, M.Phil, PhD Cindy-Lee Dennis, RN, PhD Sherry L. Grace, MA, PhD Tamara Wallington, MA, MD, FRCPC ©University Health Network Women’s Health Program 2003 Prepared for: Toronto Public Health October 2003 Women’s Health Program Financial assistance by Health Canada Toronto Public Health Advisory Committee: Jan Fordham, Manager, Planning & Policy – Family Health Juanita Hogg-Devine, Family Health Manager Tobie Mathew, Health Promotion Consultant – Early Child Development Project Karen Wade, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Planning & Policy – Family Health Mary Lou Walker, Family Health Manager Karen Whitworth, Mental Health Manager Copyright: Copyright of this document is owned by University Health Network Women’s Health Program. The document has been reproduced for purposes of disseminating information to health and social service providers, as well as for teaching purposes. Citation: The following citation should be used when referring to the entire document. Specific chapter citations are noted at the beginning of each chapter. Stewart, D.E., Robertson, E., Dennis, C-L., Grace, S.L., & Wallington, T. (2003). Postpartum depression: Literature review of risk factors and interventions. POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION: LITERATURE REVIEW OF RISK FACTORS AND INTERVENTIONS Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 OVERALL METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK 5 CHAPTER 1: RISK FACTORS FOR...

Words: 108533 - Pages: 435

Premium Essay

Paternal Postpartum Depression

...Paternal Postpartum Depression Introduction Paternal postpartum depression is a concept that has, only recently, gained some recognition within the mental health community and among clinicians. Male depression and sadness are generally taboos cross culturally. Admitting to depressive symptoms may be considered a sign of weakness, carrying shame and degrading self-worth for men. Due to these stigmas, male depression is significantly under reported comparative to female depression. Defining and quantifying patterns of paternal postpartum depression are the foundation for providing support not only for new fathers, but the family unit as a whole. Statistical Analysis of Prevalence Evidence shows that there is a strong correlation between maternal postpartum depression and that in new fathers. According to one study, 24%-50% of men who experience postpartum depression have depressed partners (Melrose, 2010). Similar statistics have been reviewed in the referenced article Paternal postpartum depression: How can nurses begin to help? by Sherri Melrose. Many of these studies discuss the depressive symptoms of mothers and fathers within the first few months of parenthood. Maternal postpartum depression has been recorded in up to 19.7% of mothers within the first month of giving birth, and fathers are found to be at much greater risk in these cases (Melrose, 2010). Although most of the hormonal data related to pre- & post-natal depression are of female subjects, some...

Words: 907 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Topic of Interest

...Depression has been described, as 'the common cold of all psychological disorders' as 7 to 12 per cent of men and 20 to 25 per cent of women will suffer from depression in their lifetime. Postpartum Depression or PPD is a serious disease that affects as many as 60 percent of new mothers. The new mother’s may not feel love for their newborn and may have no energy to take care of the child. They may also suffer from insomnia, excessive eating, anorexia, or even hyperventilation. They often feel guilty and worthless because they know that they should not feel this way. There is no set pattern for those who are most likely to be affected by Postpartum Depression. The purpose of researching Postpartum Depression and the treatments is to learn how to better care for the women and their children. Postpartum Depression is a serious illness and without proper treatment and attention the children born to women who develop Postpartum Disease may grow up without proper care and in the most serious of cases, some children die of neglect or abuse. The articles used for this paper investigate the mother’s relationship with their partner during pregnancy, the perception of prenatal partner support, the association of maternal and paternal PPD, and the associations of relationship adjustment and symptoms of depressions and anxiety. The knowledge gain from researching this topic and from the articles is that spousal support has become a very big factor in postpartum depression. Spousal support...

Words: 1193 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Postpartum Depression

...Postpartum Depression Anai Pineda March 10, 2014 I. Introduction In this report it is my intention to provide the reader with a better understanding of postpartum depression. To start off, it is necessary to understand that postpartum depression can be divided into three categories: postpartum blues, postpartum depression, and postpartum psychosis. A comparison of these three disorders can be seen in figure 2. Some of the characteristics of postpartum depression include a change in appetite, feeling unable to love the baby, or even anger towards the baby. Cases of postpartum depression date back as far as the Middle Ages when “women who exhibited melancholy during or after childbirth were thought to be witches or victims of witchcraft (Sparks).” In today’s modern world we have learned to see past outdated beliefs in witchcraft and that is why “there is a growing movement to integrate mental health screening into routine primary care for pregnant and postpartum women and to follow up this screening with treatment or referral and with follow-up care (O’Hara and McCabe).” II. Disorder and Symptoms Baby blues encompasses the most common symptoms that new mothers may have after the arrival of their baby. These symptoms last only a few days to a couple of weeks and include mood swings, anxiety, sadness, irritability, crying, decreased concentration, and trouble sleeping. Postpartum depression “may appear to be the baby blues at first, but the signs and symptoms are more intense...

Words: 1314 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Learning Disorders

...Case Study Paper Developmental Learning Disorders PSY/410 Case Study Paper There once was a little girl who dreamed of becoming a mom. She wanted, it more than anything in the world, and she knew that one day her dream would come true. This young girl would sit for hours on end thinking of names to call her future baby. So eventually this little girl grew up to become a woman. She eventually met and married her true love, but she was having difficulties becoming pregnant. The more time that went by she came to the conclusion that her dream of having a child wasn't going to happen without medical help. This in turn started the long process of fertility treatments. When these treatments did not work, she started to get depressed and frustrated, feeling like she had failed. Finally, she found out her dream had come true she was pregnant. She had a great and uneventful pregnancy and gave birth to a baby girl. But something was wrong because instead of being happy and relieved that her dreams came true, she could do nothing but cry. Is this normal or is this mother whose dreams have come true suffering from Post Partum Depression (PPD). Biological Component Post Partum Depression has been found to affect between 10- 12 percent of mother after the birth. PPD is different from what most of us would call “the baby blues,” which in all actuality affect around 70% of women after birth (Meyer, Chapman, & Weaver, 2009). In most instances a women who has suffered...

Words: 802 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Ssri Use in Pregnancy

...Depression in Pregnancy and the Effects of SSRI’s Depression is a condition that is very common and is talked about more openly today than it once was. It is especially common in child bearing age and women are more likely to be affected. Depression is also very prevalent in pregnancy and the postpartum period. It has been reported that as many as 10% of women experience more than just the “blues” during pregnancy and in the postpartum period (Fleschler and Peskin, 2008). According to Mosby’s Dictionary (2009), depression is defined as: “an abnormal emotional state characterized by exaggerated feelings of sadness, melancholy, dejections, worthlessness, emptiness, and hopelessness that are inappropriate and out of proportion to reality”. Although depression can be precipitated by a traumatic event, a person with depression will often not be able to explain their feelings and might seem to have a lack of motivation, inability to concentrate, suffer from insomnia, and have a loss of interest or joy in activities they once enjoyed. Treatment for depression is especially important in pregnancy. Woman who do not receive treatment may not get regular prenatal care, are at a higher risk for an increase in substance abuse, preterm delivery and low birth weight infant’s (Fleschler and Peskin, 2008). Non-pharmacological treatment of depression includes: exercise, yoga, relaxation techniques, and participation in support groups or cognitive behavioral therapy. When these options...

Words: 2821 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Postpartum Psychosis

...Postpartum Psychosis Motherhood the Sad, the Mad, and the Insane Laurie Hackney Women, Crime, and Criminal Justice Dr. Connolly March 21, 2011 Postpartum Psychosis Motherhood the Sad, the Mad, and the Insane On the heartbreaking morning of June 20, 2001, Andrea Pia Yates was arrested and charged for the filicide of her children. One by one, this seemingly devoted mother of five drowned all of her children in the bathtub of their family home. Singularly, she put her three youngest children to death, taking their bodies from the tub fully clothed and wet, then placed them upon their bed, and covered them up. She proceeding doing the same with her youngest child, but while she was drowning Mary, her oldest son Noah walked in and asked what she was doing before he turned and ran away. She gave chase, caught up with him in the hall, then dragged him back to the bathroom and proceeded to terminate him with Mary dead in tub. Andrea then took Mary and placed her in the arms of the three youngest children leaving Noah behind dead and alone in the bath. Factors Relating to the Incident Being raised a Roman Catholic; Yates converted her religious beliefs to that of her husband’s prior to marriage. In this religion, people are expected to have as many children as nature will allow. Even while Andrea was awaiting trial, it was reported that her husband felt so sure of his wife’s acquittal that he was already speaking about having more children. This notion left the attorneys...

Words: 4900 - Pages: 20

Premium Essay

Mid Term Women's Health

...the stigmatization of depression and how postpartum depression can be found in women around the world. Women’s health has come a long way in the United States, no one is denying that. However...

Words: 1137 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Examples Of Postpartum Depression In The Yellow Wallpaper

...Ineffective Treatment of Postpartum Depression The short story "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman brings to light the mistreatment of women’s mental health issues in the late nineteenth century in the American society. Rena Korb is a writer and editor says, “’The Yellow Wallpaper’ commands attention not only for the harrowing journey into madness it portrays, but also for its realism” ("The Yellow Wallpaper" 284). In the story "The Yellow Wallpaper," a woman falls into postpartum depression and her doctor recommended a treatment called the “rest cure,” which contributed to her madness because her condition was not yet understood and therefore never diagnosed. The story "The Yellow Wallpaper” was based on Gilman’s personal experience...

Words: 1228 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Postpartum Depression: A Psychological Study

...In light of the study of sleep quality in women with and without postpartum depression conducted by Dr. Bobbie Posmontier, it is significant to comprehend the questions that were and are still present in the clinical psychological field about the correlations between psychological conditions such as depression and bodily functions like sleep. The full effect that psychological conditions have on human behavior is a fresh and consistently debated series of topics in the psychological world of study, but the effects of deleterious psychological disorders on behavior have yet to be fully determined. According to Posmontier, the relationships between poor sleep quality and PPD remained unknown at the time, which brought attention to the need...

Words: 1010 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Postpartum Depression

...The case study is conducted on Brooke Shield an actress who suffers from postpartum depression, brought on after the birth of her child. Many women suffer from this illness causing them to have difficulties with bonding with their child, which in turn affects their everyday activities. Major DSM IV -TR Postpartum depression is defined as an intense, sustained and sometimes disabling depression effecting women after the birth of a child, causing hardship on families, effecting jobs, relationships. This condition usually starts during pregnancy and last several months after a child has been born. Postpartum depression affects proximally 10-15 % of women. Women who experience this condition normal treatment would consist of medication such as Paxil, Zoloft to help stabilize the disorder. Women who have a family history of mood disorders are at a higher risk. Postpartum depression is recognized through the DSM if signs of depression start to develop prior to the birth of a child. These signs would include depression throughout one’s day, no interest in activities, inability to sleep, weight change, loss of energy, thoughts of suicide, and death. History of Brook Shield Brooke Shields, model, and actress was born in 1965 in New York, after her parents got divorced she stayed with her mother, but her father remained involved in her life. She started her career as a baby that brought her to the center of public attention. Despite her popularity, her mother tried to provide...

Words: 1135 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Medication and Dual-Diagnosis

...research on the complicated relationship between mental health and substance use disorders. I focused my research on the relationship between depression, including post-partum, and alcoholism. In this paper, I will explain why my client, Rhonda is considered dually diagnosed, I will explain the health problems that can occur from using alcohol and the effects alcohol has on the brain and body, I will explain how alcohol impacts depression, and last, I will explain the specific problems that exist in treating the dually diagnosed individual. An individual who has any combination of a mental disorder (anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder) and addiction (drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling) is considered to be dual diagnosed. (Foundations Recovery Network, 1995) In one article, Paljärvi (2009) states “experimental studies have found that alcohol intoxication can produce even severe depressive symptoms during heavy drinking episodes.” Becker (2012) states in his article, “Alcohol has anxiety-reducing properties and can relieve stress, while at the same time acting as a stressor and activating the bodies stress response systems.” According to Evans and Sullivan (2001), individuals with a history of alcohol dependence, especially those early in recovery and those who are older, show significant cognitive impairments. Individuals with major depression also have significant cognitive deficits and the two together cause double the difficulties in thinking and learning. The most helpful support...

Words: 2258 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Postpartum Depression

...Postpartum depression, also known as PPD, affects approximately 12 to 20% of women worldwide (Papalia and Feldmen, 219). PPD is described as moderate to severe depression in a female after she has given birth. It may occur soon after delivery or up to a year later, but it usually occurs within the first four months after delivery. People who are most likely to report postpartum depressive symptoms are poorly educated women, young women, women who smoke and/or abuse alcohol and drugs, and unmarried women. There are numerous causes for postpartum depression. It may be bought on by the extreme changes new mothers face when assuming responsibility for a newborn. Another cause may be the high levels of certain hormones in a female’s body that can help prepare her for the stress of childbirth. Diabetic women with a low income are also known to suffer from PPD. Depressed mothers negatively affect children in many ways as well. Thankfully, there are ways of treating postpartum depression, such as medication and therapy. The exact causes of postpartum depression are unknown, but there are plenty of theories. PPD may be bought on by the intense lifestyle and emotional chances women deal with when there is a newborn to take care of. Some females just simply aren’t ready to take care of another human being besides themselves. This fact especially applies to first-time mothers and young women. Hormone levels have been known to change during and after pregnancy, which can affect a woman’s...

Words: 1611 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Mood Disorder

...affected by mood disorders ( The two main types of mood disorders are bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder which are described as disturbances in mood, behavior and emotion.“ Bipolar disorder is a complex disorder in which the core feature is pathological disturbance in mood ranging from extreme elation, or mania, to severe depression usually accompanied by disturbances in thinking and behavior, which may include psychotic symptoms, such as delusions and hallucinations” (Craddock, Jones 1999). Major depressive disorder or unipolar depression is characterized by a consistent low mood and lack of interest in things typically enjoyed .A second classification of major depressive disorder, is dysthymic disorder which is a chronic but less severe form of major depression (John W. Santrock 2007). Also major depression has many subgroups including seasonal affect disorder and postpartum depression. While there are many treatment options for the symptoms of mood disorders and promising scientific research, much is still unknown about a disorder that affects so many lives. According to Dinsmoor, R. S. &ump; Odle, T. G. (2009), bipolar depression refers to a condition in which people experience two extremes in mood. The bipolar spectrum includes; bipolar I, bipolar 2, bipolar NOS (not otherwise specified) and cyclothymia and all are related to disturbances in mood but differ in severity of symptoms. They are differentiated by the “impact the symptoms have on the person’s social...

Words: 1704 - Pages: 7