Dubai // New mothers suffering from postpartum depression have been urged to overcome their reluctance and seek medical help.
Women are also vulnerable to depression throughout pregnancy, and they should seek treatment and consider a course of anti-depressants.
“People need to understand that depression is a biological disease. It is no different from hypertension, diabetes or other diseases,” said Dr Yousef Aboullaban, medical director at the American Centre for Psychiatry and Neurology in Abu Dhabi.
“What we know for sure is that depressed women have some biological changes inside their brain,” Dr Aboullaban told a conference in Dubai.
Men must also understand the stress their wives are under, the doctor said. “Women during pregnancy have enough to deal with, from morning sickness to prenatal care – all the hormonal changes in addition to the other stress if they are working or have other kids.
“When their spouse doesn’t appreciate what they are going through, and hits them or emotionally insults them, this adds to the stress, and they need support.”
Other risk factors include maternal anxiety, unexpected pregnancies, poor relationship quality and getting divorced while pregnant.
Up to 70 per cent of mothers experience feelings of sadness, the "baby blues", after giving birth. This is not a serious affliction, Dr Aboullaban said, and can be treated with support from doctors and family.
Postpartum depression affects fewer women, about 10 per cent, but is more serious. It can be diagnosed within four to 12 weeks of giving birth and causes many health risks if the mother and child are left untreated.
The most dangerous condition is postpartum psychosis, which affects only 0.01 per cent of women but is considered a psychiatric emergency and may lead to suicide or infanticide, he said.
It is similar to bipolar disorder, can be evident as early as 48 hours after delivery and can develop within two weeks.
“Unfortunately many times you don’t hear about it because the family try to cover it up,” said Dr Aboullaban, who treats one to three cases of postpartum psychosis a year.
Treatment should focus on healing the mother, infant and family.
Psychotherapy can be effective in the early stages, but hormone treatments have inconclusive results. While exercise helps, this alone is not enough.
Dr Aboullaban said women should not be worried about taking medication when breastfeeding, as the general risk to the infant was minimal.
Antidepressants can take up to 12 weeks to become effective, he said, and should be discontinued gradually after a patient has recovered.
“We have never seen a patient getting addicted to the medication.”
Owing to the lack of resources and the medical community’s reluctance to encourage women to seek help, he said, postpartum depression was a major issue that needed to be addressed.
The American Centre for Psychiatry and Neurology has treated about 30,000 women at clinics in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah.
nbakhsh@thenational.ae