Mothers with postpartum depression with suicidal thoughts and their infant interactions
Science Centric (4 Sep 2009 16:41 GMT) - The joys of motherhood for many women can also lead other new moms to experience postpartum depression and even worse - ideas for committing suicide... [full story]
I recently stumbled across this article on the web, and was taken back by some of the findings the researchers found from this study. First off, the article states, "All the new mothers in the study suffered from depression, isolation and extreme difficulties in parenting infants.". How interesting that the mother's who suffered from depression were the ones targeted for this study, instead of an array of all different types of mothers with or without depression or other issues. This study seems inaccurate to me because not only does it pin point women who suffer from depression, but it also is saying that the women who worked prior to having a child, seemed more likely to suffer from PPD. 'Given that the highly suicidal women also felt less prepared for motherhood, it is possible that these women had grave doubts about their abilities to parent long before they became mothers, possibly because of difficulties in the way they were parented, problems in shifting to the mother role or because of their own histories of depression.,' the study states, adding that spouse and extended family support are also important to consider." So what does this say about any woman who suffers from depression who decides to get pregnant and have a child? That they are going to fail as a mother because they have suffered from depression? There are many women who suffer from depression who take medication approved by the FDA to be safe to take during pregnancy. It is true that the risk of PPD is higher, but having PPD does not necessarily mean you want to kill yourself or your child. As a mother who does have a history of depression, and took depression medication during my pregnancy, I am offended by the generic label this study places on mothers who suffer from depression.
Society attacks the mental stability of mothers constantly, and also anyone who is diagnosed with depression. You have the groups who feel they are weak and should get over their problems, or the others who believe everyone is over medicated and use depression as an excuse or a crutch. If I had read this article when I first got pregnant, it would not only scare me but it would make me think I would fail possibly as a mother.
"This dramatic change could have been enough to catapult them into severe post par tum depression." Is it possible this dramatic change could change their lives for the better, and change their entire outlook on themselves and life? When I found out I was pregnant, as every woman, I was nervous about miscarrying, or something being wrong with the baby. Pregnancy itself with the hormones, planning and constant worrying is stressful enough. However the period of my life when I got pregnant was not the best, and knowing I was carrying a life inside me given from God, changed my life forever. I am not stating that depression can be cured by the joy of motherhood, but it definitely changes not only your life but your head in many positive ways. I am still treated for depression, and I am doing wonderful. I do have the normal stresses of life, the economy and being a new mother, but I have never felt the effects of PPD. You could say I am lucky because I feel for any woman that has to experience that horrible disease or circumstance. However by the way of this article, it would make one think it only occurs in depressed or emotional unstable women. "Postpartum depression, they note, occurs in an estimated 19 percent of new mothers and ideas of suicide is considered a common part of this serious mental health problem." My question is, of those 19%, how many mother's were not suffering from depression or any emotional problems?
I get extremely tired of hearing the constant picking on individuals who suffer from mental illness. It is treatable, the level of severity has a huge impact on the situation and amount of stress and individual can handle. If every mother read this article or study when they first got pregnant and suffered from depression, who wouldn't get freaked out? Is that what we need to do to pregnant women, or do we need to support them and help them conquer their fears and emotions to be a stable, loving, and dependant mother.
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