Psychology is the technological and scientific analysis of mental and behavior process; which, utilizes different perspectives to comprehend and research the issues and concern in the field. A primarily focused branch of the mental process includes depression. Affecting 121 million individuals globally, depression has a large impact wide range of age groups starting early on in childhood to late adulthood. Depression is a physiological disorder that is characterized by a persistently feeling down, depressed, or hopeless with little interest or pleasure in doing activities.
This mental health disorder can cause a significant deterioration in an individual daily lifestyle. Depression can occur after a woman’s pregnancy, called the postpartum period, where women experience unspecified manner of mood disturbance. The postpartum period is connected to the increased risk of a depressive incident that occurs weeks to months following the birth of their child. Although a postpartum period can transpire with either a normal pregnancy or a pregnancy with depression.
The rapid change in their endocrine system and the hormonal environment is the characterization of the postpartum period. This is period is commonly associated with the circumstance of adaptive changes that occur in the development of childbirth, postnatal care, and nursing. During post delivery, estrogen and progesterone, the primary female sex hormone in the endocrine system, concentration suffer a dramatic fall in the woman’s body. The postpartum period can be susceptible to a variety of psychiatric disorders: postpartum blues, depression, and psychosis. These psychiatric disorders that affect the mother can also have a significant disruption to the infant, impacting the mother and infants relationship.
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It is crucial for a postpartum psychiatric disorder to be diagnosed early to be able to prevent management. Keywords: depression, postpartum period, psychiatric disorder, postpartum blues, psychosis A women’s pregnancy is presumed to be a joyous journey toward motherhood; instead, it involves overwhelming emotional, physical, biological, and social changes. This rigorous period can create the mother to have symptoms of a postpartum period; can be categorized in a range of disorders. Perinatal mental illness is predominantly underdiagnosed and can lead to alterations of mother and infants relationships. Women typically experience a variety of mood disturbance within the first forty-eight hours upon delivery.
Meanwhile, the postpartum period is active there is a vulnerability of psychiatric disorders and mental illness to occur, such as postpartum blues, depression, and psychosis. The mildest form of perinatal mental illness that can transpire during the first few weeks following childbirth is postpartum blues. Detected in 50-75% of postpartum women, the blues are considered to be a common experience of mood disturbance with new mothers. Postpartum blues are often known as maternity blues, baby blues, and postnatal blues, which are classified as a period of overwhelming emotional responsibility. Depression lasting typically only a few days to no more than two weeks after the delivery of the child.
Potential triggers to the blues include the history of depression, hormonal changes, and stress following delivery. Symptoms include psychological liability, frequent crying episodes, anxiety, sleep apnea, confusion, irritability, and overwhelming feelings. These characterizations have no interference with the women’s ability to socially and occupationally function. “However, PB is more commonly seen in western countries because of the lack of strong familial support and bonding. It is observed to be as high as 40–85%” (Rai, Pathak, & Sharma, 2015). Although common with most women, social support and family members reassurance is required for during this difficult stage.
If symptoms of depression constant succeeding two weeks, a woman may be susceptible to a more serious mental disorder. A general psychiatric illness that is observed during the postpartum periods is postpartum depression. This type of postpartum period characteristics are more severe than those of the postpartum blues but are less severe to that of postpartum psychosis. PPD emerges generally over the first two to three month after childbirth. “However, while this condition is estimated to affect 10–15% of the population and between 23 and 52% of low‐income mothers, PPD goes largely undetected by the primary health team”(Thompson & Fox, 2010).
Often misdiagnosed due to the difficulty of distinguishing it factors from those of depression that can occur at any stage in a person’s life. Research have determined that possibles influence that can promote PPD such as stressful situations occurring during pregnancy or near childbirth(such as high-risk pregnancy, prematurity, and complications with the infant), history of major mental illnesses, insufficient support system, and pregnancy dissatisfaction. Postpartum depression is an acute an long lasting disorder that clouds judgment and ability to perform daily functions.
PPD symptoms include severe mood swings, sleep disturbance, loss of interest, excessive crying, anxiety,change in appetite, feeling guilt/worthlessness of ability to care for the infant, and suicidal thought. The mother tends to have negative and harmful thought toward the newborn and herself. This depression extremely impacts the mother’s ability to attach and bond to her infant. General treatment for PPD involves pharmacotherapy (usage of medications) and mother-infant therapies (infant intervention). The most severe form of postpartum psychiatric illnesses identifying as an acute and abrupt onset is called postpartum psychosis. Most commonly observed to occur during the first four weeks postpartum and up to the third month.
Factors for those who development PP often have a history with bipolar disorder, schizoaffective illness, and schizophrenia. A combination of the rapid change in hormone post delivery and the presence of past mental disorders causes postpartum psychosis. Specialist referred to PP as a psychiatric and obstetrical emergency that is essential to accelerate the process of appropriate treatment. Systems for PP include paranoia, disorganized/disoriented behavior, hallucinations & delusions, mood swings, the obsessive thought of the infant, harming & suicidal thought yourself or infant, sleep disturbance, and excessive energy. “These perturbations, in combination with lapsed insight into her illness and symptoms, can lead to devastating consequences in which the safety and well-being of the affected mother and her offspring are jeopardized”(Sit, Rothschild, & Wisner, 2006)
This disorder affects the care and nutrition of the infants prenatally and postpartum causing the infant life to be in danger of loss. Factor that can influence postpartum psychosis is the discontinuation of mood stabilizer medication during a pregnancy, sleep deprivation, and stressful situations. There are treatments for the prevention and management of PP that involve lithium treatment, antiepileptic drugs, atypical antipsychotic medications, and electroconvulsive therapy. Patients who suffer from postpartum psychosis experience mental illness that can result in a long-term impairment.
