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POSTPARTUM depression related literature review
POSTPARTUM depression related literature review
Postpartum depression research critique
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Postpartum Depression
In 2001, Andrea Yates, a Texas mother, was accused of drowning her five children, (aged seven, five, three, two, and six months) in her bathtub. The idea of a mother drowning all of her children puzzled the nation. Her attorney argued that it was Andrea Yates' untreated postpartum depression, which evolved into postpartum psychosis that caused her horrific actions (1) . He also argued that Andrea Yates suffered from postpartum depression after the birth of her fourth child, and that she attempted suicide twice for this very disorder ((1)). What is postpartum depression, and how can it cause a mother to harm her very own children, altering her behavior towards her children in a negative way? One in ten women experience postpartum depression ((2)), a condition that often goes undiagnosed, and occurs in women after childbirth. A reason for the lack of diagnosis of postpartum depression is a milder, more common form of depression after childbirth, often known as the "baby blues". The baby blues occur in mothers three to five days after childbirth ((2)) , and may last for as little as a couple hours to a couple weeks ((4)). These symptoms include
* mild sadness
* tearfulness
* anxiety
* irritability, often for no clear reason
* fluctuating moods
* increased sensitivity
* fatigue ((2))
The treatment for the baby blues are frequent naps, a proper diet, and plenty of support from partners, family, and friends ((3)). Generally, the baby blues subside without any sort of serious treatment. However, the baby blues may evolve into postpartum depression. One study discovered a link between postpartum depression and the baby blues: out of the women that were diagnosed with postpartum depres...
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...lso drop during childbirth, and thus may be a factor in postpartum depression ((4)).
Consequently, ways to prevent another Andrea Yates from going too far is to treat postpartum depression seriously. Because the baby blues are so common, postpartum depression and psychosis are often misdiagnosed as the baby blues, or even more frequently, not diagnosed at all. Thus, postpartum depression must be taken seriously.
References
1)Study Works! Online: What is Postpartum Depression?
http://www.studyworksonline.com/cda/content/article/0,,NAV4-42_SAR1208,00.shtml
2)Postpartum Depression and Caring for Your Baby
http://kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_newborn/home/ppd_baby.html
3) Postpartum Coping: the Blues and Depression
http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=HQ01243
4)Frequently Asked Questions about Postpartum Depression
http://www.4woman.gov/
Today postpartum psychosis is known to be a serious psychiatric crisis that affects one to two women per thousand in the first few weeks following childbirth. Women tend to experience visual, aural, and olfactory delusions and hallucinations that enables a risk of self-harm,
At the beginning of the novel, Dimmesdale has established quite a reputation for himself. In discussing individual members of the magistrate, the towns people describe Dimmesdale as a "God fearing" gentleman, "but merciful overmuch (49)". Due to his actions all of the people respect and look up to the Reverend. Throughout the story, Dimmesdale desperately tries to confess, envying Hester, for her courage, he says, "Happy are you Hester, that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom” (188)! Even at the end of the novel, when finally attempting to confess, people are compelled by his final sermon, raving that "never had a man spoken in so wise, so high, and so holy a spirit, as he that spake this day” (243). Proving that he was a very loved and influential man in the small town.
Knowing the symptoms of postpartum depression is critical for a young mother's discovering that she may have the depress...
Pregnancies are often correlated with the assumption that it will bring happiness to the household and ignite feelings of love between the couple. What remains invisible is how the new responsibilities of caring and communicating with the baby affects the mother; and thus, many women experience a temporary clinical depression after giving birth which is called postpartum depression (commonly known as postnatal depression) (Aktaş & Terzioğlu, 2013).
After having a baby, any woman is susceptible to post-partum depression. Andrea Yates ended up with Post-Partum Psychosis. She claimed to have visions of knives after some of her children were born. Her family had history of mental illness. Her illness was so bad that she was not only having visions but in her own testimony stated that her and her children were watching cartoons one day and the program stopped just so the cartoon characters could tell her children to stop eating so much candy, and then resume broadcasting. She was not fully connected with reality that she didn’t understand her actions were that of wrong doing. She had reoccurring hallucinations, multiple stays in the mental institutions, two suicidal attempts, and severe depression.
Postpartum depression is indeed a major psychological disorder that can affect the relationship between mother and baby. At this time, the cause of postpartum depression is unidentified, although several factors experienced during pregnancy can contribute to this disorder. Fluctuating hormone levels have been traditionally blamed for the onset of postpartum depression. Jennifer Marie Camp (2013), a registered nurse with a personal history of postpartum depression, states in the Intentional Journal of Childbirth Education that “current research demonstrates that PPD may be a compilation of numerous stressors encountered by the family, including biochemical, genetic, psychosocial factors and everyday life stress” (Camp, 2013, p. 1). A previous history of depression, depression during pregnancy, financial difficulties, a dif...
Nelson Mandela taught us that the humanity all of us share can help us transcend the sins some of us commit. There is no better example of the transformative power of tolerance and reconciliation than Nelson Mandela and his inspiring work in overthrowing the apartheid government in South Africa. He understood the power of words to change minds and the power of peaceful deeds to open hearts. His life reminds us that justice and tolerance can overcome even the greatest cruelty. Nelson Mandela faced one of the greatest evils of our time.
The categorical imperative is an idea used to redefine ideas of morality (Kant 30). Morality is a priori; it is what we ought to do or ought not to do regarding an action (Hromas). "We know killing is wrong so we ought not to do it; we know this without experience" (Hromas). Morality is when everyone follows moral actions in agreement with the moral law and an action is not performed with a desire to feel a certain way (Kant’s Ethics). Immorality is when everyone follows the law except for one person (Hromas). Kant provides the example of a shopkeeper. The shopkeeper is to keep a fixed price for everyone so that the inexperienced shoppers do not get taken advantage of, such as a child (Kant 13). However, this action was done by the shopkeeper "for a self-interested purpose" (Kant 13). If the shop keeper did not keep a fixed price for everyone then word would spread about his not being fair to all customers and therefore no one will go into his store and he will go out of business. Another example is a street vendor in New York City. I am given a hotdog by a street vendor and am told it cost three dollars, but I only have one dollar and the vendor still sells me the hotdog for one dollar. A woman behind me asks for a hotdog and the vendor charges her three dollars. This vendor is not being fair to all of his customers because the woman and I both bought the same item but paid different amounts. I will come back to this street vendor but I am sure the woman will not. The vendor sold me the hotdog for one dollar because he wanted to receive some kind of payment for the food already in my hand and thus it was in his best interest to receive less
Postpartum depression affects 8-15% of mothers within a few days or weeks after giving birth. Some mothers experience a mild form of this disorder, while others experience a more rare and intense version. This intensified postpartum depression is known as postpartum psychosis. According to the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and Law, Nau, McNiel, and Binder (2012) express “Postpartum psychosis occurs in 1-2 of 1,000 births and frequently requires hospitalization to stabilize symptoms.” These symptoms include: Hallucinations, restlessness, disturbed sleep, insomnia, drastic mood or behavior change, delusional thinking, thoughts of suicide or death, and extreme depression. In The Journal of Women's Health, Sit, Rothschild, and Wisner described postpartum psychosis as “an overt presentation of bipolar disorder that is timed to coincide with tremendous hormonal shifts after delivery”. Approximately 72%-88% of mothers who experience postpartum psychosis (PP) have bipolar illness, schizo-affective disorder or a family history of either which is why PP is classified as a psychotic disorder by the APAA.
Second there is postpartum depression. Postpartum depression is when a new mother is depressed after child birth. Three to six percent of women experience depression before during or after birth.( American psychiatric Association, 2013). Women with postpartum depression are most likely to be given antidepressants. Some say the lack of sleep during the first month of bringing home a new born baby plays a big role in postpartum
Post abortion syndrome can be described as the emotional and psychological consequences after abortion. When a person goes through a traumatic experience without the opportunity to process the experience emotionally it is expected that they have a delayed negative reaction. Abortion is a consequence to unplanned pregnancy that is often ignored. As a result, women who have experience abortion are advised to deny it because of social norms. Furthermore, they do not talk about and process the normal feelings of anxiety, fear, shame, guilt and grief, which often follow the abortion. Dadlez & Andrew (2010) explored the relationship between post abortion syndrome and psychological factors that may occur with women. The study found that there are not any psychological harms associated with the procedure .In fact the concerns already existed and possibly multiplied after the abortion.
Classical conditioning refers to a type of learning in which a previously neutral stimuli took on the ability to stimulate a conditioned response in an individual (Gormezano & Moore, 1966). To prove that environment was more impactful than genetics, Watson conducted an experiment on an infant, little Albert. Initially, Albert showed little fear towards rats. When Watson repeatedly exposed Albert to the rat accompanied by a loud noise, the latter began to develop fear towards not just the rat but also other furry animals. Watson successfully showed that the acquisition of a phobia can be explained by classical conditioning (Watson & Watson, 1921). Regardless of their genes, the associations of the right stimuli can result in the development of a new behaviour in any individual.
Ivan Pavlov developed a theory called classical conditioning which proposes that learning process occurs through associations between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus. Classical conditioning involves placing a neutral signal before a naturally occurring reflex like associating the food with the bell in Pavlov experiment. In classical conditioning, behavior is learnt by association where a stimulus that was originally neutral can become a trigger for substance use or cravings due to repeated associations between those stimuli and substance use (Pavlov, 1927).
Activist, lawyer, father, prisoner, survivor, president, the face of equality. Nelson Mandela has an inspiring story of fighting Apartheid forces and surviving a long prison sentence all in the name of freedom and equal rights. Through Nelson Mandela’s constant fight for freedom of the African people from white apartheid forces, he was dominated by the corrupt government. After uprising numerous riots against apartheid forces, Mandela was sent to jail for twenty-seven years revealing the cruelty that humans can possess. With the strong will power and complete support of the African people, Mandela survived his prison sentence and became the first democratically elected president of South Africa exposing the strength in human nature by showing that humans can persevere through tough times. Mandela left a profound impact on the African people by saving them from corrupt Apartheid rule and bringing a democratic government. Thus teaching the world that in an event where a body of people is suppressed, they will inevitably rebel by any means necessary to gain their freedom.
Moral duty and moral law can be expressed as categorical imperative. We must look at categorical imperatives in order to determine what we ought to do regardless of what we want to happen. It concerns not the matter of the action, or its intended result, but its form and the principle that results. What is essentially good consists in the mental disposition of consequences that result without it being interfered. Kant’s great moral principle, categorical imperative, has to be a priori.