Maternal mental health problems create an enormous burden to women, their infants, families, and society if their problems are not dealt with. Some women develop mental
health disorders during pregnancy or in the first year after delivery. If a woman is
faced with life changing events such as poverty, relocation, stress, various
types of violence, or any life altering event this increases her susceptibility
to having a mental illness.
In the World Health Organization publication, “Maternal Mental Health & Child Health and Development:"
- Depression and anxiety are approximately twice as prevalent globally in women as in men, and are at their highest rates in the life cycle during the childbearing years, from puberty to menopause.
- Studies of depression and anxiety show their incidence to be approximately 5% in non-pregnant women, approximately 8-10% during pregnancy and highest (13%) in the year following delivery.
- Suicide is one of the most common causes of maternal death in the year following delivery in developed countries.
- Psychosis, by contrast, is relatively rare and occurs in only 1 to 2 women for every 1000 giving birth. The rates of psychosis following delivery may be higher in less developed countries, where infection may contribute to its occurrence.(WHO, 2013para2).
This
information is meaningful to me as a mother, grandmother and Childcare Director
of young mothers. So many women are faced with mental health issues and are not
able to receive treatment for them either because of missed diagnosis’ or the
inability to receive and get adequate treatment. We have to recognize symptoms
so we can help with early interventions to help the mother and other family members
that may be affected by their issues.
References
http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/MaternalMH/en/
Diana
ReplyDeleteI really liked your post. My sister developed some mental issues when she was pregnant and she was able to get the help she needed. So I can relate to and understand the importance of women getting the support and help they need during and after giving birth.
Great job!!
Hi Diana, I really appreciate your post. I too chose to focus on maternal mental health, specifically postpartum depression. This cause really hit home for me because I have a very close friend who struggled with mental health after the birth of her first child. Her problem wasn't that she couldn't get the help that she needed but rather that she felt ashamed and embarrassed about her situation. I think that we need to educate people on the facts about maternal mental health so as you said the symptoms are recognizable but also to alleviate from stereotypes associated with mental health problems.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the insight, Diana. Women like to think that they can do everything especially when being a mother and put their needs last. It is so important for women to be not only healthy physically but mentally to care for her family.
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