Depression in Pregnancy, Article Critique Example

Ginger Breedlove and Denise Fryzelka wrote the article, “Depression Screening during Pregnancy” that is published in the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health. Ginger Breedlove is a CNM, PhD, ARNP and works for the Kansas City Free Health Clinic and Denise Fryzelka is a CNM, MS and currently working on her doctorate of nursing at Marquette University in Wisconsin. This article notes that “depression is the leading cause of disease-related disability among women, and the incidence of depression in women is greatest during their reproductive years, occurring at a rate of 5% to 25%” (Breedlove & Fryzelka, 2011). Because of the prevalence and difficulty of diagnosis despite the availability of screening tools, the authors note that the oversight of the disease during pregnancy may be related to a lack of practitioner training.

Breedlove and Fryzelka suggest that midwives and physicians should be more aware of their patient’s family history, symptoms of depression during pregnancy and encourage the use of depression screening tools. They further note that the screening process should begin in the early stages of pregnancy to provide early detection, therefore encouraging the woman seek treatment by a qualified mental health professional. The authors also point out that caution should be used for women that have been previously treated for psychiatric disorders, which could heighten the risk of relapse.

According to the article, pregnant women may be more apt to share sensitive information regarding depression with their practitioner during pregnancy because of the relationship. While they note the types of screening tools, such as the Beck Depression Inventory, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the Pregnancy Depression Scale (PDS), they suggest that they should be used in conjunction with information learned through interview techniques by their practitioner. Because each woman is different and their pregnancy is not the same, they recommend that the patients’ medical health and psychological health be followed closely.

References

Breedlove, Ginger, CNM, PhD, ARNP, and Denise Fryzelka CNM, MS. “Depression Screening During Pregnancy.” Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health 56 (2011): 18-25.