The impact of postnatal depression on women - Essay Example

THE IMPACT OF POSTNATAL DEPRESSION ON WOMEN Introduction Postnatal depression is a condition that affects women after childbirth. It is a type of depression that occurs before the infant reaches six months or on rare cases it may occur after six months. It may be identified through lack of sleep, irritation or often change of mood, especially low mood. The cause of postnatal depression is not clear but it is thought to be caused by physical and emotional stress caused by a newly born baby, change of hormones after delivering and individual social, psychological, or financial circumstances.

1Women with high risk of facing the depression are those with history of postnatal depression (Coopper & Lynnne, 1995).Literature reviewThere are different types of postnatal depression and with different symptoms. The first type is Melancholic depression, which is uncommon but very severe; it is associated with genetic and biological basis. Its symptoms include lack of concentration and psychomotor disturbance. This depression can be treated best under medication. The other type of depression is Non-melancholic depression, which is the most common, and it is linked to psychosocial other than genetic and biological.

2This type of depression responds well under psychological approaches done by a psychiatrist (Southwick & Meevan, 2005). Motherhood is every woman’s wish but sometimes it can be hectic to the extent of affecting both the mother and the baby. This majorly can be caused by postnatal depression on mothers. The depression affects the relation between married couple when most of the time mothers tend to care only for the child and forgets the husband leading to a divorce. 3These women also develop episodes of depression and anxiety (Coopper & Lynnne, 1995).

This can be serious especially with women with history of mental disorder. With the disorder, issues of finance, family, work, and even personal become difficult for most of women to solve making them face the risk of suicide.ConclusionWomen suffering from Postnatal depression should be treated with care and understanding. They should be taken to hospital for the doctor to tell the kind of treatment to be administered. BibliographyCoopper, P. J. & Lynnne, M., 1995. Course and recurrence of postnatal depression: Evidence for the specificity of the diagnostic concept.

The British Journal of Psychiatry, 2(162), pp. 191-195.Southwick, S. & Meevan, V., 2005. The psychobiology of depression and resilience to stress: implications for prevention and treatment. Annu. Rev. Clin. Psychology, Volume 1, pp. 255-291.