Post Partum Depression, Essay Example

Post-Partum Depression

More serious than just the so-called “baby blues”, post-partum depression can effect approximately 13% of new mothers (National Institute of Health, 2011, p.1). This condition can be hard to diagnose because many women who suffer from it feel guilt or shame or see themselves as unfit parents.  However, if left untreated, this can lead to serious consequences for both mother and baby.  Below is a case study of a patient I encountered during the course of my clinical rotations who suffered from this disorder.

Patient Presentation and Treatment

My patient was a married Caucasian twenty–year-old primagravida with a two-month-oldbaby. She presented with an array of symptoms which, according to the Mayo Clinic, are consistent with a diagnosis of post-partum depression: she complained of problems sleeping, uncontrollable crying jags, loss of appetite, feeling isolated or set apart from people around her, and admitted to ideation of self-harm and harming her baby (Mayo Clinic website, 2013, p. 2)

My patient had an interesting history: when she was sixteen she was hit by a car and suffered severe fractures of her pelvis, pubic bone, and the left femur; she had to have multiple surgeries following this accident and still walked with a limp and had to use analgesics and muscle relaxers on the daily basis.  She admitted that part of her problem was withdrawal from this medications during the course of the pregnancy and pain in the former fracture sites.  She also reported a family history of schizoaffective disorder in both her mother and history, though she herself had never presented with clinical symptoms of this. Thus my patient had several of the key factors that put her a greater risk for post-partum depression, including a family history of mental illness, substance use issues, and young age (Buxton, 2012, p. 11).  After a work-up, patient was put on a selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor and counselling was suggested.  The patient did not feel comfortable with a traditional counsellor but instead made regular visits to the pastor at her church and was compliant with use of her antidepressant.  We continued to follow her and she did report an alleviation of many of her clinical symptoms in the following months, although she still struggled with her depression.

Implications of Post-Partum Depression

There are a number of implications to be considered with this condition.  Post-partum depression increases the risk that a woman will abuse substances; there is also a risk for family violence, compromised parenting and reduced attachment with the infant (Buxton, 2012, p. 6). For the infant, there is also a risk of higher stress, reduced attachment to the mother, and for delays in cognitive, social and emotional development with additional risk for later behavioral disorders (Buxton, 2012, p.8).   In addition, this disorder can affect the entire family apart from the mother and infant, including the spouse and older siblings (Mayo Clinic, 2011, p. 7) and partners of women with post-partum depression can also suffer from a form of this depression themselves (National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2013, p.1).  These stresses can lead to a break-down in the family: in the case of this particular patient, she and her husband divorced shortly after she began to see us, though he remained active in the child’s life.

Concluding Thoughts

Post-partum depression is a health condition which needs to be taken seriously because of the potential dire consequences for mother, baby and the family unit as a whole.  Fortunately, with treatmentchange can be affected in this disorder and this can lead to positive patient outcomes and an increased quality of life for both mother and child.

References

Buxton, B. “Post-Partum Depression”. (2012). Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Web. 13 May 2014.

“Depression During and After Pregnancy.” (2011). United States Department of Health and Human Services.  Web. 13 May 2014.

“Post-Partum Depression”.  (2013). Mayo Clinic Website. Web. 13 May 2014.

“Post-Partum Depression”. (2013). National Alliance on Mental Illness. Web. 13 May 2014.