Postpartum Depression
Psychology 101
Abstract
Postpartum depression which is also known as postnatal depression is a type of clinical depression which can affect women and men after child birth. The chances of it affecting men are fewer than women. Many of those who suffer from postpartum depression often have symptoms of sadness, fatigue changes in sleep, eating patterns, crying episodes, anxiety and irritability. Only about 10-15 percent of new mothers experience clinical depression. As for men up to 14 percent of dads in the U.S. experience depression after the birth of their child, and that figure escalates to 25 percent in the period 3 to 6 months after birth. Many of those suffering from postpartum depression often seek counseling and therapy to help better themselves for the risk of their new born child.
When having a child everyone thinks of the joy and excitement that has to come with your new bundle of joy but sometimes not everyone has those feelings and thoughts. Women often after giving birth feel depressed and anxiety or even obsessive compulsive disorder. But women aren’t the only ones who go through these symptoms. Studies have shown that men also experience the same symptoms of postpartum depression as well. Studies report rates among women from 5% to 25%, but methodological differences among the studies make the actual prevalence rate unclear. Among men, in particular new fathers, the incidence of postpartum depression has been estimated to be between 1% and 25.5%. Some of the symptoms consists of bouts of intense anxiety or depression while you were pregnant, particularly in the third trimester, prior history of depression or anxiety, family history of depression or anxiety, marital difficulties, stressful life events such as financial problems or the loss of a job, childcare stress, inadequate social support, having to care for a child with a difficult temperament and low self-esteem.
Many women with...