PERINATAL DEPRESIION
■ Women often don’t recognise themselves as being depressed – they hide their symptoms or present as the baby having the problem. ■ When symptoms (anxiety, lowered mood, tearfulness, fears of not being able to cope or being a bad mother) are recurrent, severe or continue for more than two weeks, the diagnosis of depression or anxiety disorder must be considered. ■ In PND many anxieties arise from the lack a balanced perspective. Cognitive behavioural therapy is well suited to address these issues. ■ Maternal depression is associated with poor developmental outcomes for children with implications for the child’s education and the potential for mental illness as adults. ■ Mothers’ groups can be beneficial if they are specifically for women with PND but general mothers groups can alienate women if they feel different to the other “coping” mothers. ■ Early detection and treatment of PND may lead to remission of symptoms and improvement for mother, child and family members, but it does not ...