Understanding Postpartum Depression (PPD): Causes, Symptoms, and Management

What is it?

Postpartum depression is a mood disorder that can occur either during pregnancy or within the four weeks following delivery. It may last up to a year. The exact mechanism in yet unknown but is linked to chemical, social, and psychological changes that happen after giving birth. New fathers can also suffer from PPD the first year after their child is born.

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Additional names

This group contains additional names:
- Anxiety postpartum
- Depression during labor and delivery
- Depression in childbirth
- Mood disorder postpartum
- Postnatal depression

Signs & symptoms

Depressed mood or severe mood swings, crying, severe anger, loss of appetite or excessive eating, insomnia or sleeping too much, loss of pleasure, being uninterested in the baby and bonding difficulties, Trouble concentrating or making decisions, Feelings of worthlessness, shame, guilt or inadequacy, Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.

Diagnosis

The criteria required for the diagnosis of postpartum depression include at least five of the following nine symptoms, within a two-week period:
Feelings of sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness, nearly every day, for most of the day or the observation of a depressed mood made by others.
Loss of interest or pleasure in activities
Weight loss or decreased appetite
Changes in sleep patterns
Feelings of restlessness
Loss of energy
Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
Loss of concentration or increased indecisiveness
Recurrent thoughts of death, with or without plans of suicide.

Treatment

Psychotherapy and antidepressants.

☝️ This is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making any medical decision.

Learn more about our editorial process for content accuracy.

Source of Information - We analyze big data of more than 23 million patients de-identified medical records from the following sources:

National Institution of Health ∙ World Health Organization ∙ University of Illinois hospital