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Post by Admin on Jan 26, 2016 13:23:58 GMT -4
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Post by Edak Ekere on Jan 26, 2016 18:14:57 GMT -4
Postpartum depression and depression during pregnancy is a real thing, contrary to what some people think. A friend of mine who has a 2 month old son is currently dealing with this. She is dealing with pressures that are hormonal, physical, social, etc. It is sad that people expect "perfect" mothers. The women who suffer from this usually suffer social judgement and are looked at as "unfit" mothers. Even celebrity moms who publicly share their experiences with postpartum depression are often scrutinized. As a result of this scrutiny, some women suffer in silence, are consumed with guilt, and ashamed to ask for help due to the stigma attached to the condition. This makes matters worse, as the kids are now at great risk. There are multiple stories in the news about women suffering from severe postpartum depression who end up killing their babies. Of course, these women are on the more extreme end of the spectrum. According to the article, women suffer more from mental illness during and after pregnancy than from other conditions, so it is a good thing that depression screening for these women is now being taken seriously, since there is some evidence of accurate diagnosis and successful treatment.
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Post by Tuong Nguyen on Jan 27, 2016 19:24:43 GMT -4
Postpartum is can be dangerous if overlooked. There was a case back in July where a woman named Paula Thompson was accused of trying to drown her twin babies. The judge put her on probation and she is only allowed to supervised visit her kids. Imagine what she had to go through such an ordeal everyday thinking that she had tried to kill her kids off. Now, she can only visit her kids through supervised visit. When I had my kids, we didn’t know what postpartum is. We never went back to OBGYN to recheck whether my wife had postpartum or not similar to Heidi Koss case. Now reading this article and thinking about Paula Thompson, me and my wife can thank our lucky stars that she didn’t have postpartum depression.
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Post by Max Rosenberg on Jan 28, 2016 10:27:04 GMT -4
This article brings up many significant points about the importance of pre and peripartum depression screening to prevent postpartum depression. I think at certain prepartum visits with the patient's ObGyn/PCP, it should be mandatory for the practitioner to at least assess any inklings of depression or mental health issues. A stressor or tie associated with depressive feelings should be pinned down in some way as early as possible and counseling/therapy should be offered at that time. Early intervention with counseling, without prescribing SSRIs to provide protection to the growing fetus, should hopefully alleviate many of the concerns that the mother is facing before giving birth. I agree with the article that it is difficult to standardize a screening approach, but think that spending a few minutes with the ObGyn and PCP at each follow up visit along the way and having a simple open conversation with the patient, family, everyone involved with the eventual care of the baby can be of great benefit. Looking into psychosocial factors and living arrangement situations can help paint a picture of where the depression may be coming from.
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Post by unkown on Jan 28, 2016 10:42:37 GMT -4
The screening of depression in pregnant women and in women after giving birth gets very little recognition. I was quite surprised to learn just how prevalent depression is in these groups with the article citing some studies showing that psychiatric disorsers and suicide in particular are the leading causes of maternal death. Where I come from in India, depression and mental illness in general are still stigmatized and not given the recognition that they deserve. I know women who have suffered from depression and instead of being treated are derided for not being better mothers. I feel that even though the technology of health care in 3rd world countries may be advancing, the mind set and capabilities to understand mental illness are still lagging 20 years or so behind. The reason for this is unclear but it is encouraging to note that here in the US things are changing and depression and mental illness are not being brushed off so easily as they once were.
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Post by myfern on Jan 28, 2016 11:34:18 GMT -4
This article is very informative regarding the importance of screening for postpartum depression. In my previous rotation at a Mental Health hospital, majority of the patients in the womens unit suffered from this serious issue. When probed as to if they had discussed their feelings with anyone else, the women basically said they were not addressed. One point in the article that stood out was, she says, "studies that show that more women suffer from mental illness during pregnancy and after pregnancy than develop gestational diabetes or pre-eclampsia, or go into preterm labor." This is very true and not recognized as it should be. The stigma lies in the fact that after the birth of children the mothers are in bliss, when in reality they have more stress in not knowing how to deal or recognize their depression. One thing to note is, which specialist will be involved in the screening, would it be the Ob or the psych or a special team. Again this article is very informative and hopefully will be just as influential.
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Post by Tangela Derogene on Jan 28, 2016 12:39:09 GMT -4
I absolutely agree with the recommended depression screening for pregnant women and new mothers. For far too long this has been an overlooked or shunned topic in our society. The depression these mothers go through is very real and very treatable but because it is downplayed these women are felt as if they are crazy and alone. This isolation can lead to the worsening of her symptoms which in turn can and will affect her child. I believe just as there are screenings for gestational diabetes, there should be a screening for depression for pregnant women; just as there is a newborn check up at the pediatricians, there should be depression screening for new mothers.
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Post by Eme Umana on Jan 28, 2016 14:03:22 GMT -4
Depression is more common in women than men with initial onset peaking during the reproductive- age year. Examining depression amongst pregnant women one must reside it is not abstract as some would make it seem. Depression is often triggered by an action or experience so identifying these will help in right counselling thereby promoting beliefs that they are not alone. Women who suffer from depression while pregnant will need to be provided with current information and assisted in weighing the risks of taking medication against the benefits. Although screening is important it must be coupled with appropriate follow up and treatment when indicated;clinical staff in obstetrics and gynecology practices should be prepared to initiate therapy.Medical practices should have a referral process for identified cases.
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Post by Sonia varghese on Jan 28, 2016 15:27:26 GMT -4
This was an interesting read. Pregnancy itself is so complex and requires a lot of specialized attention. I think emphasis on mental health in pregnancy varies depending on the provider. During my obgyn rotation, my doctor was very concerned about the mental state of each of her patients. However, since not all doctors follow this style of practice, many women fall through the cracks and have to deal with a lot of their issues alone. One thing holding obgyns back is the fear of harming the unborn child so they tend to stay away from medications. A suggestion would be to require a psych visit for every patient during her prenatal care, this way a trained psychiatrist can evaluate if the patient needs further care.
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Post by Diana Khaw on Jan 28, 2016 16:41:14 GMT -4
This article indicating the importance of screening pregnant women for depression was a good read, as well as a good reminder on the significance mental health. I believe we mainly focus on prevent of gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, preterm labor, and how the fetus is developing, without focusing on other health conditions, mainly psychiatric disorders. The British study in the late 1990s claim that suicide was the leading cause of maternal death. I think it’s something to consider as significant to prevent deaths or postpartum complication with the newly mother and their newborn. Being a first time mom is already hard enough, we should find ways to implement screening for depression, along with the other prenatal screening, to prevent or treat the condition. Although medication can cause side effects and possible birth defects, I believe CBT and counseling can help stabilize or alleviate depressed mood.
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Post by Elvin Frempong on Jan 28, 2016 17:07:07 GMT -4
This article illustrates the importance of screening for postpartum depression. As serious as this issue is, the women conflicted with this often times report it being overlooked by many physicians. Statistically, the article points out just how serious the issue of depression while pregnant is. It claims that more women suffer from mental illness during and after pregnancy compared to gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, or even preterm labor. There can be emotions expeienced after the birth of a child that masks the impending depression. Screening methods need to be a part of the post partum regimen and executed for a duration of 6 weeks after birth to ensure stability of the mother. Once done, i am sure rates of reported and under reported levels of depression will consistently go down. This article is a great start to opening the eyes of all practitioners associated with the birthing team.
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Post by Esiet Udota on Jan 28, 2016 17:45:20 GMT -4
Although i have never been pregnant, i do have friends who have gone through pregnancy. Pregnancy is such a life altering event in any womans life. It involves a complete lifestyle adjustment and the need for a strong support system to be able to cope. I definitely support depression screening for all pregnant women and new mothers. The article presented indicates that plans have been introduced to legislation to fund screening and treatment for pregnant women or women who gave birth within the past year. I believe that knowledge of the mental status of a pregnant women, thereby providing the appropriate treatment needed for any issues, would prevent harmful side effects on the babies and even postpartum mortality.
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Post by Melanie Samples on Jan 28, 2016 18:18:14 GMT -4
Screening for depression in pregnant women and those that recently had a baby is a great thing. Depression is a huge problem that needs to be addressed. Not only does the depression affect the mother but it also affects the child. Screening for depression is life saving for both the mother and potentially the child. If we can identify depression in the mother before it gets out of control, it will increase quality of life for the family and the mother could possibly get help and overcome the depression before it becomes a huge issue. I am 100% behind what the task force proposes but I also believe screening for other mental health disorders is warranted as well. Pregnancy tends to exaggerate mental health disorders and if the mother is screened in general for mental health disorders it could save her life and the baby's no matter what the diagnosis might be. Mental health disorders have been put on the back burner and have been brushed under the rug for too long and addressing these issues is important.
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Post by Rahim Mangalji on Jan 28, 2016 19:09:52 GMT -4
The fact that 9% of pregnant women and 10% of new moms go through major depressive episode was staggering; what was even more shocking was that depressive episodes were more common than that of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, or preterm labor. These numbers and statistics put out there definitely warrant screening for depression. It is so important to keep an eye to lookout for mental health disorders just as much as other problems in pregnancy. However, it goes beyond that. The article mentioned that treatment was one of the biggest challenges, and to me that means that we, as healthcare providers, need to be at the forefront of persistence, perseverance, and support with regards to treatment. More focus needs to go beyond treatment with drugs and focus upon treating with various forms of therapies, all of which must be closely monitored, until progress is seen. If this task force can come to the forefront not only with screening, but also implementing more constant measures of treatment for pregnant women suffering from mental afflictions, we may be able to alleviate "carrying a parcel of depression " from these women; furthermore, we can also increase the quality of life for the children to be.
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Post by Peter Wahba on Jan 28, 2016 19:38:17 GMT -4
Pregnancy is already a difficult situation physically for women. This article brings to light how taxing it can be on the emotional and mental health of a patient who is pregnant. It is imperative that we screen for depression and continue to look for better ways to discover and treat the depression. This would allow better health for mother and child as well as family since depression can lead to difficult issues with relatives. Pregnancy is an event that should be closely monitored by a woman's family as well as her physician. As proponents of health and well being, physicians should look more closely to their patients and understand that pregnancy is not just a physical event.
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