Abstract
Postpartum depression is a crippling mood disorder, historically neglected in health care, leaving mothers to suffer in fear, confusion, and silence. Undiagnosed it can adversely affect the mother-infant relationship and lead to long-term emotional problems for the child. This article differentiates postpartum depression from other postpartum mood and anxiety disorders and addresses these aspects of postpartum depression: symptoms, prevalence, risk factors, interventions, and the effects on relationships and child development. Instruments available to screen for postpartum depression are also reviewed.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Review
MeSH terms
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Antidepressive Agents / therapeutic use
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Combined Modality Therapy / methods
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Combined Modality Therapy / nursing
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Depression, Postpartum / diagnosis*
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Depression, Postpartum / physiopathology
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Depression, Postpartum / psychology
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Depression, Postpartum / therapy*
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Diagnosis, Differential
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Female
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Humans
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Infant
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Infant, Newborn
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Mass Screening / instrumentation
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Mass Screening / methods
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Maternal-Child Nursing / methods
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Mental Disorders / diagnosis
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Mother-Child Relations
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Pregnancy
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Psychotherapy, Brief / methods
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Risk Assessment / methods
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Self-Help Groups