点击显示 收起
April 16, 2001 -- Up to eight out of 10 new mothers suffer from the 'baby blues' -- crying spells, mood swings, and irritability that seem out of place following the joyful miracle of giving birth. Although these feelings usually go away in a week or less, more than 10% of women go on to develop postpartum depression. This far more serious and long-lasting condition may endanger the well-being of both mother and baby, if left untreated.
"Postpartum depression is a serious mental health problem affecting hundreds of thousands of women and their families every year," Michael W. O'Hara, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, tells WebMD. "The United States has lagged behind Europe in identifying women at risk for postpartum depression as well as in providing mental health services for women who suffer from postpartum depression."
Pregnant? Talk with other expecting moms on our Pregnancy: Friends Talking board.
Poverty doubles the risk of postpartum depression, worsens its effect on the infant, and limits the mother's access to mental health treatment. But a brief period of psychological education during pregnancy may help prevent postpartum depression in financially disadvantaged women, according to a study in the April issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.
"In this small study, we found that this intervention decreased postpartum depression in women who were at risk," researcher Caron Zlotnick, PhD, a psychologist at Butler Hospital in Providence, R.I., tells WebMD.
The technique is called interpersonal-therapy-oriented group intervention.
Sounds intimidating -- but don't let the long name scare you away from this helpful prevention strategy.
"This intervention is not treatment but more like education in what to expect and in coping skills," says Zlotnick. Because it is not psychotherapy, it can be administered by a nurse-practitioner who teaches health education or by someone with similar training, she explains.
The technique "helps patients develop ways to understand and deal with their current interpersonal problems," Myrna M. Weissman, PhD, tells WebMD. Weissman, a professor of epidemiology and psychiatry at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University in New York City, was not involved in the study, but she developed this technique with her late husband Gerald Klerman.
"The transitions associated with childbirth can create many new family, marital, and economic problems, which can become magnified with the emotions and exhaustion surrounding childbirth," Weissman says. The therapy aims to help women deal with role transitions, adjust to becoming a mother, and cope with interpersonal conflicts that arise due to the new stresses placed on them.
In Zlotnick's study of 35 women, none of the women who received interpersonal intervention during pregnancy developed major depression in the three-month period after giving birth, while one-third of the women who did not receive it did develop depression.
This result was especially remarkable as the intervention consisted of only four one-hour group sessions called "Survival Skills for New Moms."
"Childbirth and the care of a new baby does not often allow a great deal of extra time for clinic visits," Weissman says. "These investigators have modified and shortened interpersonal intervention to a manageable dose and are to be congratulated for this."
This study shows that women at risk for postpartum depression can benefit from a relatively brief and inexpensive psychological intervention, adds O'Hara, co-author of a large study on interpersonal psychotherapy for postpartum depression, published last November in Archives of General Psychiatry.
How can you tame the baby blues?
Accept offers of help, eat a healthy diet, and exercise moderately if your doctor allows it. When the baby is asleep, rest, watch a movie, or pamper yourself in some other way. Don't expect to be a Supermom or Wonder Woman; share your feelings with your spouse, family, friends, or a new mothers' group.
If the blues persist or if they prevent you from taking good care of your baby, don't be afraid to get professional help.
As this was a small, preliminary study, Zlotnick, Weissman, and O'Hara agree that larger studies are needed. If these findings are confirmed, O'Hara says "hospitals around the country might begin to offer similar programs."