Pregnancy related psychiatric Illness
Perinatal depression
Perinatal period refers to time before and after child birth.
When depression begins during pregnancy (called prenatal depression) and depression that begins after the baby is born (called postpartum depression).
Signs and Symptoms
Some women may experience a few symptoms of perinatal depression; others may experience several symptoms. Some of the more common symptoms of perinatal depression include:
- Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood
- Irritability
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, hopelessness, or helplessness
- Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities
- Fatigue or abnormal decrease in energy
- Feeling restless or having trouble sitting still
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
- Difficulty sleeping (even when the baby is sleeping), awakening early in the morning, or oversleeping
- Abnormal appetite, weight changes, or both
- Aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not have a clear physical cause or do not ease even with treatment
- Trouble bonding or forming an emotional attachment with the new baby
- Persistent doubts about the ability to care for the new baby
- Thoughts about death, suicide, or harming oneself or the baby
Postpartum Psychosis
Postpartum psychosis (PP) is a severe mental illness that occurs after childbirth. It is a medical emergency and important to seek help immediately.
Women who have PP can develop delusions (thoughts or beliefs that are not true),
hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or smelling things that are not there),
Symptoms of mania (a high, elated mood that often seems out of touch with reality),
paranoia, and confusion.
Women with Postpartum psychosis harming themselves or their child and should receive help as soon as possible.
Specialized treatment plans are provided according to individual needs. Treatment for perinatal depression often includes therapy, medications, or a combination of the two. If these treatments do not reduce symptoms, brain stimulation therapies, such as electroconvulsive therapy