Does Pregnancy Influence Depression

Does pregnancy influence depression

Although it once was thought that women experienced low rates of mental illness during pregnancy, recent research reveals that over 10% of pregnant women and approximately 15% of postpartum women experience depression. As many as 80 percent of women experience the "postpartum blues," a brief period of mood symptoms that is considered normal following childbirth. However, the related hormonal and biological changes associated with pregnancy or giving birth may initiate a clinical depression. Or, the changes in lifestyle associated with caring for a young infant may constitute a set of stressors that have mental health consequences for the mother. There is a three-fold increase in risk for depression during or following a pregnancy among women with a history of mood disorders. Once a woman has experienced a postpartum depression, her risk of having another reaches 70 percent.

One woman in a thousand experiences a postpartum psychosis-a medical emergency in which the woman may inflict harm upon herself and/or her baby. The first episode of bipolar disorder in women frequently occurs following the birth of a child.

Source: NAMI--The National Alliance on Mental Illness, copyright 2007; www.nami.org; 1-800-950-NAMI