Depression that occurs in following the birth of a child: estimates vary, but up to 12% of mothers and 6% of fathers may experience this. Onset may be immediate following the birth of a child or may occur at some time later (up to and even beyond a year).
Postnatal depression is indistinguishable from major depression per se: it is the timing of the episode rather than its nature that distinguishes it. There is no reliable evidence indicating that changes in levels of HORMONES or obstetric variables have an impact on the incidence of the disorder—indeed, there is no discriminable difference between parents who do, and parents who do not, develop postnatal depression. Factors that have some predictive power for postnatal depression include previous depressive illness, concurrent difficult life events and poor support from relationships and social systems. The additional burden of coping with an infant, the change in social circumstance and relationships brought about by parenthood, and such straightforward things as lack of SLEEP, appear to be factors placing individuals at risk.
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