Depression: The Silent Crisis during Pregnancy

Abstract

Depression is a major problem that is more prevalent in women than in men especially during childbearing years. A woman’s postpartum period is associated with both physical and hormonal changes, leading to emotional disturbances. These disturbances are characterized as postpartum blues, postpartum depression, and postpartum psychosis, with postpartum blues and postpartum depression being more common than postpartum psychosis. Such untreated postpartum psychiatric illnesses can lead to long-term effects in both mother and child, particularly effecting the child’s development. Appropriate screening, early diagnosis, identification of risk factors and timely treatment of these postpartum illnesses is essential for both mother and child, with a prompt response improving the outcome.

Keywords

• postpartum blues
• postpartum depression
• postpartum psychosis
• pregnancy