Essay Postpartum Depression - 740 Words

Postpartum Depression In 2001, Andrea Yates, a Texas mother, was accused of drowning her five children, (aged seven, five, three, two, and six months) in her bathtub. The idea of a mother drowning all of her children puzzled the nation. Her attorney argued that it was Andrea Yates untreated postpartum depression, which evolved into postpartum psychosis that caused her horrific actions (1) . He also argued that Andrea Yates suffered from postpartum depression after the birth of her fourth child, and that she attempted suicide twice for this very disorder ((1)). What is postpartum depression, and how can it cause a mother to harm her very own children, altering her behavior towards her children in a negative way? One in ten women†¦show more content†¦Almost ten percent of recent mothers experience postpartum depression ((3)), occurring anytime within the first year after childbirth ((3)). The majority of the women have the symptoms for over six months ((2)) . These symptoms include * Constant fatigue * Lack of joy in life * A sense of emotional numbness or feeling trapped * Withdrawal from family and friends * Lack of concern for yourself or your baby * Severe insomnia * Excessive concern for your baby * Loss of sexual interest or responsiveness * A strong sense of failure and inadequacy * Severe mood swings * High expectations and over demanding attitude * Difficulty making sense of things ((3)) Consequently, the treatment for postpartum depression is more intense than that for the baby blues. Among the many treatments, many mothers undergo intense counseling, take antidepressants, or even experience hormone therapy ((3)). In rare instances, postpartum psychosis is diagnosed (one-tenth or two tenths of a percent experience it ((2)) ). When experiencing postpartum psychosis, new mothers can experience auditory hallucinations, as well as delusions and visual hallucinations ((4)), making them lose their sense of what is real and what is false. Treatment is imperative an often times done under immediate hospitalization.Show MoreRelatedPostpartum Depression : Post Partum Depression1599 Words   |  7 Pagesabout what could cause a mother to murder her own children. Two words became a significant part of her legal team’s defense: â€Å"postpartum depression† (Cohen). A public dialogue was opened and the issue of postpartum depression saw a significant shift in awareness. This new era of enlightenment would be considerably different from the earlier history of post-partum depression and some of the shame that surrounded it. Beyond Andrea Yates, other women have increased the prominence of the mental disorderRead MorePostpartum Depression On The Mother And Parenting1463 Words   |  6 PagesFor this research paper, I decided to focus on postpartum depression. While being a listening ear, I was introduced to the reality that not every mother has the attachment to her child that almost every movie in Hollywood portrays. After hearing the story and not sure if it was a real thing, I began to search the web for information, stories, and news coverage related to the rarely-discussed category of depressed known as Postpartum Depression (PPD). I wanted to find solid proof that this was anRead MorePostpartum Depression : Symptoms And Symptoms773 Words   |  4 Pagesbirth of a baby leads to some complicated feelings that are unexpected. Up to 85% of postpartum woman experience a mild depression called â€Å"baby blues† (Lowdermilk, Perry, Cashion, Alden, 2012). Though baby blues is hard on these mothers, another form of depression, postpartum depression, can be even more debilitating to postpartum woman. Postpartum depression affects about 15% (Lowdermilk et al., 2012) of postpartum woman. This disorder is not only distressing to the mother but to the whole familyRead MoreMiddle Range Theory Of Postpartum Depression Theory Essay1608 Words   |  7 PagesMiddle Range Theory Paper: Analysis of Postpartum Depression Theory Description of Theory- In 1993, Beck published a middle range theory on postpartum depression, entitled Teetering on the Edge. Beck, (1993, p. 44) which describes â€Å"walking on a fine line between sanity and insanity†. Beck determined a limited amount of qualitative research available and few instruments for measurement of postpartum depression, postpartum psychosis, and â€Å"maternity blues†. Beck interviewed 12 women for 18 months detailedRead MoreThe Effects Of Health Information Levels On Postpartum Depression1545 Words   |  7 PagesTitle Evaluation The title of the journal article to be critically evaluated is Influence of health information levels on postpartum depression. This title is not sufficiently specific because the variables are not easily understood. What is meant by health information levels? The reader must examine the article further to understand if this health information is provided, or does the article refer to the level of health-related knowledge each participant already possessed from another source, suchRead MoreThe Effects Of Maternal Postpartum Depression On The Language Development Of Children Essay1554 Words   |  7 PagesIn the article â€Å"The impact of maternal postpartum depression on the language development of children at 12 months†, the authors, Quevedo, Silva, Godoy, Jansen, Matos, Tavares Pinheiro and Pinheiro, studied the relationship between some factors related to maternal depression during the first year of a child’s life and the child’s language development proces s (Quevedo et al.,2011). They hypothesized that a child whose mother presented maternal depression would have a lower performance than a childRead MorePostpartum Depression Essay1223 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Postpartum depression (PPD) is a major form of depression and is less common than postpartum blues. PPD includes all the symptoms of depression but occurs only following childbirth.† stated by William Beardslee, MD is the Academic Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at Children’s Hospital in Boston and Gardner Monks Professor of Child Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. After reviewing and seeing what many mothers and young teenage mothers go through on what seems like an everyday basisRead MorePostpartum Depression : Symptoms And Treatments Essay1101 Words   |  5 PagesDepression Postpartum in United States According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, depression is â€Å"a psychoneurotic or psychotic disorder marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty in thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal tendencies.† According to the definition of the fourth version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), postpartum depressionRead MorePostpartum Depression : Symptoms And Symptoms980 Words   |  4 PagesPostpartum Depression Screening Depression, a disorder of the brain, is known to be a common but serious illness that interferes with one’s life. Although MRI scans have shown a difference in the brain activity of individuals suffering depression, it cannot solely be used to diagnose depression. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) states that â€Å"with postpartum onset† to episode of depression with the onset being within 4 weeks of delivery of a neonateRead MoreThe Progressive Stages Of Postpartum Depression1392 Words   |  6 Pagesby the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Depression: a state of feeling sad. Simple, right? Dead wrong. Clinical depression is one of the leading psychological disorders in the US, affecting over 17.5 million Americans.(Washington) Amongst the many forms of depression, there is postpartum depression, a more uncommon one. Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Gilman, is a paper in which Charlotte Gilman tells a fictionalized version of her experience with postpartum depression. The purpose of her writing this was