Summary

Excerpted from the CAMH publication: Postpartum Depression: A Guide for Front-Line Health and Social Service Providers, Chapter 1 - Clinical Overview

• PPD is a depressive episode that occurs in the first year postpartum.
• Clinically, PPD is no different from depressions occurring at other times, except the symptoms may be related to the birth or baby.
• PPD is the most common postpartum mood disorder. It affects approximately 13 per cent of new mothers.
• A physician or licensed psychologist makes diagnoses according to DSM-IV criteria.
• Symptoms of PPD are, predominantly, feelings of sadness and inability to feel pleasure, in addition to sleep disturbance, fatigue, weight change, physical agitation or retardation, excessive feelings of worthlessness or guilt, decreased ability to concentrate and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.
• After having PPD, a woman is at risk of experiencing further depressive episodes related to childbirth, and is also at risk of depression at other times.
• Postpartum blues are extremely common in the postpartum period but only last for a few days, and the mood symptoms are mild and transient. PPD is persistent and more severe, lasting a minimum of two weeks and impairing daily functioning.
• Women who experience severe elation and depression, or exhibit any psychotic features (postpartum psychosis), require immediate medical and/or psychiatric referral and probably hospital admission.

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