Friday, April 18, 2008

What causes postpartum depression?


Many experts believe that the causes of postpartum depression/postpartum mood disorders are related to hormones, yet these cannot account for incidences of postpartum mood disorders found even mothers who adopt babies.

Here are several possible causes for postpartum depression (PPD):

Hormone/Biologic Causes

It is very likely that at least part of the cause for PPD is related to hormones. One study showed similarities between certain hormone level of mothers during the postpartum period and other women not in postpartum who suffer from chronic depression.

Another recent study suggests that one possible cause may be the drop in insulin that mother experience in the postpartum period. The drop in insulin reduces the level of serotonin in the brain, which is well –known for its ability to affect mood disorders.

Marital/Self-esteem Causes

Marital dissatisfaction is not only a risk factor but may also be a cause for PPD. Mothers who are closer to their spouses/partners are less likely to develop PPD. Some research shows that receiving a daily massage from their partner dramatically reduced the incidence of PPD for some mothers. So a poor marital relationship can play a role in PPD.

Health/Fatigue Causes

There is some evidence that postpartum mood disorders may be directly related to the fatigue women experience. One study showed that the level of fatigue mothers reported at two weeks “postpartum was the best predictor of later postpartum mood disorders at four weeks” postpartum. But the lack of sleep adds to the mother’s inability to care for herself and her baby.

Sociocultural Causes

Researchers discover possible causes is to study what works to treat women with PDD. One study it indicated that when potentially ”at risk” mothers, who were disadvantage received individual counseling, it greatly reduced their chances of developing major PPD. There are likely many potential triggers or causes for PDD.


Posted by Tom at 07:43:28 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Saturday, April 12, 2008

What Causes Depression?

Depression is frequently preceded by set-backs in life, such as relationship or financial difficulties, problems at work or medical illness. All the people react to loss with a sense of disappointment which in its impact can vary from mild to disabling. An inherited tendency towards depression is a major factor in determining how depressed a person will become following a loss.


Benefit from depression maintenance therapy

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Among elderly patients who have recovered from an episode of major depression, maintenance treatment with antidepressant drugs is superior to placebo in preserving the improvements in health-related quality of life, according to a recent report.

"Depression is one of the major causes of decline in the health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) of elderly persons," write Dr. Alexandre Y. Dombrovski and colleagues, in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

The researchers, from University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, examined the effectiveness of antidepressant maintenance therapy with paroxetine and interpersonal psychotherapy in retaining the gains in HR-QOL achieved during initial short-term treatment in patients 70 years or older with depression.

A total of 195 patients were initially treated with paroxetine (Paxil) and underwent interpersonal psychotherapy for depression; 116 of them responded and entered the maintenance treatment phase.
Posted by Tom at 07:35:14 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |