Postpartum Depression: Finding Affordable Help

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It is great that US News and World Report is doing an article about postpartum depression, however they need to get their facts straight. Women with postpartum depression do NOT lose touch with reality, and are not at risk for killing their children. What the article was describing is postpartum psychois, a psychiatric emergency where women often have delusions about their infants, which put infant at risk. This occurs in 1 out of 1,000 women, NOT 1 out of 8. One of the problems with confusing these two disorders is that it may scare women unnecessarily when they are diagnosed, and may lead others to not seek treatment.
Postpartum depression is easily treatable. Only if the women herself is contemplating suicide is the baby at risk. Some mothers "take" the child with them in suicide/homicide attempts so as to not leave the baby without a mother. But this is very uncommon.
Lucy J. Puryear, M.D.
President, Postpartum Support International

Lucy Puryear of TX 1:51PM June 15, 2011

Thanks for the article -- it is important we raise awareness. However, I'd like to point out that postpartum psychosis does not usually follow postpartum depression. In fact, postpartum psychosis often is characterized by a rapid onset - sometimes only hours or days and generally, but not always, in the first month - after a child is born. So, although it IS important to treat postpartum depression in a timely fashion (in part because there is simply NO good reason for a mother to be suffering) - to assume that postpartum psychosis generally follows depression can be dangerous.
Furthermore, women with bi-polar disorder are considered high risk for postpartum psychosis (yet many women who get postpartum psychosis have no previous record of mental illness) -- and there are steps that women and families can take to ensure early treatment and avoid tragedy.
Perhaps the best initial line of defense against this illness is awareness and education -- unfortunately most families assume it will not happen to them (and most are right) but when it does happen, those families are often ill prepared to deal with it.
Teresa Twomey
author, Understanding Postpartum Psychosis: A Temporary Madness (Praeger)
Postpartum Support International (PSI) Co-coordinator for CT
PSI legal resources coordinator

Teresa Twomey of CT 9:25AM June 15, 2011

Hey there - Well, I just wanted to say thanks for bringing attention to this wide spread yet under-treated mental illness. I'm a LPC specializing in postpartum depression, and it affects women from all walks of life. Poverty & maternal abuse exacerbates the rate of PPD. There is The transition to parenthood is a unique sensitive period There is help available. You are not alone.

Kathy Morelli of NJ 7:00AM June 15, 2011