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Viewpoints on depression
Postpartum depression research critique
Case study for perinatal depression
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Depression is a serious disease that is characterized by feeling of sadness, hopelessness, guilt, and worthlessness. Typical symptoms of depression include loss of pleasure in everyday activities, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, weight loss or weight gain, and persistent feelings of sadness or emptiness (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 2011). Unfortunately, depression is a common problem in today’s world. In recent years, depression has been termed a major public health concern in the United States. This is partially due to the lack of recognition and treatment of depression in many people. An additional problem is that despite treatment, many people relapse and sink back into their depression. Depression is the leading cause of disability for both men and women (World Health Organization [WHO], 2012). According to the World Health Organization, depression is the leading cause of disease burden for women (WHO, 2012). While depression is a serious disease, it is treatable.
Depression is particularly a problem for women as it is more prevalent in women than men; this may be due to hormonal and psychosocial factors that women experience (NIMH, 2011). The onset of depression often occurs during a woman’s reproductive years and as a result it is of particular importance in the field of Obstetrics & Gynecology (Marcus & Heringhausen, 2009). Due to an increase in knowledge, there has been a focus on perinatal depression or depression that occurs during pregnancy or within twelve months of giving birth. Now that the prevalence of depression during and after pregnancy has been established, they has been a focus on how to treat depression during pregnancy. Antidepressant medication is a common treatment for depression; howev...
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... observed in women during their reproductive years, specifically between the ages of 20 and 40 years old (Marcus & Heringhausen, 2009; Weissman & Olfson, 1995). When looking specifically at depression during pregnancy, studies have shown that between 10% and 16% of pregnant women meet the criteria for MDD and up to 20% experience depressive symptoms (Marcus & Heringhausen, 2009; Gotlib et al., 1989; Burt & Stein, 2002). The DSM-IV-TR does not recognize postpartum depression as a separate disorder, rather it is a “specifier” under major depressive disorder (DSM–IV–TR, 2000). For a patient to be diagnosed with “postpartum depression” they must meet the criteria for both major depressive disorder and the postpartum depression specifier (DSM–IV–TR, 2000). Lastly, the specifier of postpartum depression applies if the onset of depression is within four weeks of delivery.
Knowing the symptoms of postpartum depression is critical for a young mother's discovering that she may have the depress...
The article, Occurrence of depression during the postpartum period and risk factors that affect the development of the depression, is about a study conducted by Demet Aktas and Fusun Terzioğlu in November 20, 2007 until January 30, 2008. This study involved 330 women who recently gave birth at the Women’s Health Education and Research Hospital in Ankara. The goal of this study was to determine the experiences of depression for these women and the risk factor involved that develop into postpartum depression.
Clinical depression, which affects about 10% of the adult population (Holtz, Stokes, 1138), is charact...
Having a child can be the happiest moment of a person’s life. A sweet little baby usually gives new parents tremendous joy. That joy can be accompanied with anxiety about the baby and the responsibility the new parents are faced with. The anxiety, in most cases, fades and joy is what remains. For some new mothers, however, the joy is replaced with a condition known as postpartum depression. “Postpartum depression is a serious disorder that until recently was not discussed in public…Women did not recognize their symptoms as those of depression, nor did they discuss their thoughts and fears regarding their symptoms” (Wolf, 2010). As such, postpartum depression is now recognized as a disorder harmful to both mother and infant, but, with early detection, is highly treatable with the use of psychotherapy, antidepressants, breastfeeding, and other natural remedies, including exercise.
From mild to severe knowing of conditions and their specific symptoms is the most straightforward way to diagnose the problem areas. The types of depression cover major, melancholia, psychotic, antenatal and postnatal, bipolar disorder, cyclothymic disorder, dysthymic disorder, and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Major depression involves low mood and/or loss of interest and pleasure in usual activities (“Types of depression”). Melancholia, a severe form of depression where many of the physical symptoms of depression are present. One of the major changes is that the person starts to move more slowly. They are also more likely to have a depressed mood that is characterised by complete loss of pleasure in everything, or almost everything (“Types of depression”). Psychotic depression, can lose touch with reality and experience psychosis. This can involve hallucinations or delusions such as believing they are bad or evil, or that they 're being watched or followed. They can also be paranoid, feeling as though everyone is against them or that they are the cause of illness or bad events occurring around them (“Types of depression”). Antenatal and postnatal depression affects women during pregnancy and in the year following childbirth. The causes of depression at this time can be complex and are often the result of a combination of factors (“Types of depression”). Bipolar disorder used to be
Postpartum Depression (PPD) is a period of depression that follows childbirth and lasts more than two weeks. It is experienced by up to 15% of women in the first three postpartum months (Camp, 2013). PPD is well represented in all ages, races, and cultures. The causes of PPD are currently unknown. There are many factors that place patients at a higher risk of developing PPD. These factors include history of PPD, depression during pregnancy, family strains, anxiety, and lack of support.
Depression is an equal opportunity disorder, it can affect any group of people with any background, race, gender, or age. Depression is a sneak thief that slips quietly and gradually into people’s lives - robbing them of their time, and their focus. At first, depression may be undetectable, but in the long run a person could become so weighed down that their life may feel empty and meaningless. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone who commits suicide is depressed, but majority of people who commits suicide do so during a severe depressive episode. There are over 300 million people in the world today who suffer from depression. Depression has affected people for a long as records have been kept. It was first called out by the famous Greek philosopher Hippocrates over 2,400 years ago. Hippocrates called it “melancholia”. Many times we think of depression as one disorder alone, when in fact there are many different types of depression. The different types of depression are major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, atypical disorder, adjustment disorder, and depressive personality disorder. All types of depression share at least one common symptom. It is commons from the person who suffers from any form of depression to feel an unshakable sadness, anxious, or empty mood. Major depressive disorder also known as unipolar depression or recurrent depressive disorder is the most severe depressive disorder out of all of the depressive in my estimation. Major depressive disorder is a condition in which affects a person’s family, work or school life, sleeping, eating and general health. It is important to emphasize that we can understand the mechanics of this disorder and how it affects people with major depressive disorder.
After giving birth, women will have hormonal oscillations (Rosequist). In the meanwhile, their bodies are getting back to their normal state, however if that “blues” does not go away, it can evolve in a deep depression. As she recalls, saying: “And yet I cannot be with him, it make me so nervous”(Gilman), it is obvious that Post-Partum depression is the cause of her poor attachment with the child; the mother can be hazardous to the baby; mood swing occur, and in extremes circumstances, about 1 in 1,000, it can bring psychotic indications (Hilts). If this condition if left untreated, it can cause serious psychological and physical damages. Treatment would include anti-depressants and therapy. This can also trigger other types of mental
Roca, Catherine. "Depression During and After Pregnancy." April 2005. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Online. http://www.4woman.gov/faq/postpartum.htm. (17 Nov. 2005)
Depression is an illness within itself that affects the “whole body”. (Staywell,1998) The body, feelings, thoughts, and behavior are all immensely altered when someone is depressed. It is not a sign of personal weakness, or a condition that can be wished or willed away. For some people depression is just temporary, but for others it can last for weeks, months and even years.
Depression is a serious mental health illness which affects an individuals’ mind, body and mood. It is a chronic and lifelong health condition (NICE, 2006) thought to be caused by a number of biological factors including neurotransmitter disturbances in the brain and an element of genetic vulnerability; these are often in addition to psychosocial factors such as the occurrence of undesirable life events, limited social network options, poor self esteem and the occurrence of any adverse life events during a persons’ lifetime (Bernstein, 2006). Depression can have an impact on a persons’ ability to do many things including working, engaging with others, participating fully in family life or maintaining relationships, and it can also impact on a person...
Clinical depression is very common. Over nine million Americans are diagnosed with clinical depression at some point in their lives. Many more people suffer from clinical depression because they do not seek treatment. They may feel that depression is a personal weakness, or try to cope with their symptoms alone. On the other hand, some people are comfortable with admitting their symptoms and seeking help. Such a discrepancy may account for the differences in reported cases of depression between men and women, which indicate that more than twice the numbers of women than men are clinically depressed. According to the numbers of reported cases of depression, 25% of women and 10% of men will have one or more episodes of clinical depression during their lifetimes.
My mother was diagnosed with postpartum depression (PPD), also referred to as postnatal depression. This is a type of clinical depression which can affect women after childbirth. The cause of PPD is not well understood but hormonal changes, genetics, and major life event have been hypothesized as potential causes. Maternal depression has been shown to influence mothers’ interaction with her child, therefore the doctor thought it was necessary for further treatment. Many women recover with treatment such as a support group, counseling, or
There are many people in the world who are struggling with the disease depression. Depression is the state in which a person feels very sad, hopeless and unimportant. The thing about depression is that it affects both genders and any ages. Depression is something that deserves full attention. For many reasons doctors believe that when a person has depression, they have to start taking medication for it as if medications help. People are becoming more dependent on antidepressants when there are other techniques for dealing with depression.
Depression is one of the most common psychological problems. Each year over 17 million Americans experience a period of clinical depression. Thus, depression affects nearly everyone through personal experiences or through depression in a family member or friend.