Postpartum Depression: A review

Abstract

Postpartum depression is a common mental health issue that is often unrecognized and undertreated. It is a global public health issue while problems that occur due to postpartum depression can persist across generations, negatively impacting quality of life. This review article addresses major traits of postpartum depression, including brief introduction on of postpartum depression, risk factors contributing ng postpartum depression, current statistics, how it influences families and society. An integrative literature review was done using different electronic databases including PubMed, Google scholar, and Research Gate. The global prevalence of postpartum depression is esti mated at 17.22%, though it varies signifi cantly across regions. In Asia, postpartum depression rates range widely, from 0.82% in South Korea to 93% in Japan. Postpartum depression symptoms typically involve signifi cant changes in sleep, eati ng, and acti vity patt erns. Untreated maternal depression can harm child development and mother-infant bonding, with effects that also impact the partner and family. The greatest risk for postpartum depression is having a history of major depression and experiencing depression during past pregnancies. Research indicates that women’s ability to manage postpartum stress is linked to a combination of biological, social, and environmental factors. These factors differ based on cultural and geographic contexts. To prevent negati ve eff ects of postpartum depression on children and family, healthcare professionals and nurse practitioners should be knowledgeable about the signs and symptoms, screening methods, and treatment options. This study aimed to summarize the literature on postpartum depression, highlighting the research findings