https://yorkspace.library.yorku.ca/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10315/2553/Antenatal%20risk%20factors%20for%20postpartum%20depression.pdf

Antenatal risk factors for postpartum depression: a synthesis of recent literature

https://academicworks.medicine.hofstra.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1952&context=articles

Sex differences in anxiety and depression clinical perspectives

Mood disturbance occurs commonly during the postpartum period. The symptoms may be transient and relatively mild (as in postpartum blues) or may be associated with significant impairment of functioning (as in postpartum depression and puerperal psychosis). Despite the prevalence of postpartum mood disorders, depressive symptoms that emerge during the puerperium are often overlooked. Puerperal affective illness places the mother at risk for the development of recurrent depression and has also been associated with significant long-term effects on child development and behavior. Therefore, the prompt recognition and efficacious treatment of puerperal mood disorders are essential in order to avoid adverse outcomes for both mother and infant. This article discusses the evaluation of postpartum mood disturbance and offers guidelines for the treatment of affective illness during the puerperium.

/pdf/postpartum-mood-disorders-diagnosis-and-treatment-guidelines-3y6qpqd1fa.pdf

Postpartum mood disorders: diagnosis and treatment guidelines.

Perinatal mental illness is a significant complication of pregnancy and the postpartum period. These disorders include depression, anxiety disorders, and postpartum psychosis, which usually manifests as bipolar disorder. Perinatal depression and anxiety are common, with prevalence rates for major and minor depression up to almost 20% during pregnancy and the first 3 months postpartum. Postpartum blues are a common but lesser manifestation of postpartum affective disturbance. Perinatal psychiatric disorders impair a woman's function and are associated with suboptimal development of her offspring. Risk factors include past history of depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder, as well psychosocial factors, such as ongoing conflict with the partner, poor social support, and ongoing stressful life events. Early symptoms of depression, anxiety, and mania can be detected through screening in pregnancy and the postpartum period. Early detection and effective management of perinatal psychiatric disorders are critical for the welfare of women and their offspring.

Perinatal mental illness: Definition, description and aetiology

Major Depressive Disorder

Fifty-eight psychoses beginning within two weeks of childbirth are compared with 52 episodes of nonpuerperal psychotic illness occurring in young women. A clinical approach based on the use of multiple information sources and integrated assessment was used. Statistically significant differences between the two groups of patients were found in 52 of 214 psychopathological variables. Postpartum patients had more manic symptoms and "confusion," while nonpuerperal patients had more schizophrenic symptoms. The Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC) showed an excess of schizoaffective (manic) puerperal patients and schizoaffective (depressed) or schizophrenic nonpuerperal patients. Only five of 58 puerperal episodes met RDC for schizophrenia. The relative lack of schizophrenic symptoms in the puerperal group was confirmed by self-ratings. The results are interpreted as supporting a link between puerperal psychosis and manic-depressive disease.

https://jamanetwork.com/HttpHandlers/ArticlePdfHandler.ashx?journal=PSYCH&articleId=492591&pdfFileName=archpsyc_38_7_013.pdf

Allan R. Downing

Papers

Puerperal Psychosis: Phenomena and Diagnosis