Post-Partum Depression: A Case Study

When people think of the birth of a newborn child, they think happy thoughts. Which they should, having a child is a major life event. But in many cases people mainly focus on the child’s well-being and not the mother’s. Unfortunately, some mother’s struggle with post-partum depression, which when depression isn’t handled as soon as possible it can lead to serious injury or even death. Post-partum depression is a moderate to severe form of depression that affects a woman after giving birth. It may occur immediately after the childbirth or even as late as a year after the child is born. Not every mother gets post-partum depression, but it’s more common than some people think. There are more cases of post-partum depression than the combined number of cases for conditions such as epilepsy, lupus, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, leukemia and multiple sclerosis (Roche, 2015). Women who are at higher risk for post-partum depression are mothers who live in poverty areas, have a pervious history of mental health issues, a younger parent or had a traumatic experience during birth. When a mother has one or more of these risks, it’s a good idea to keep a close eye on the mother after birth. Motherhood
Everyone deserves to have a happy, healthy mother to help them get through the hard parts of life. Katherine Wisner, a professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine said, “In the United States, the vast majority of postpartum women with depression are not identified or treated, even though they are at higher risk for psychiatric disorders. (Rope, 2013)” Post-partum depression is a real and serious issue that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Post-partum depression should be talked about more often, there are many mothers in the United States that are struggling. If depression is treated early, it could save many lives. Not many diseases can be treated, but this one can