Postpartum Depression: An Overview of Reviews and Guide for Management

Abstract

Background: Pregnancy and postpartum periods are one of the most transformative times in a woman’s life, especially the first 3–12 months postpartum. This period holds a great significance from the psychiatric point of view, as women are at an increased risk of developing various psychiatric disorders. In the recent times, many reviews have emerged on various aspects of postpartum depression (PPD). Aim: Accordingly this article aims to review the available review articles on various aspects of PPD to have a comprehensive understanding. Methodology: For this review, different databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar) were searched using different keywords, i.e. depression, post-partum, peripartum, post-natal, peri-natal, post-partum depression, and postnatal depression. All the available reviews and recent articles were reviewed and relevant articles were selected. Results: In recent times, data with respect to the epidemiology, risk factors, and various management strategies have been reviewed by different reviews and meta-analyses. Treatment guidelines have also emerged focusing specifically on the PPD. The incidence of PPD is 12%, and the prevalence ranges from 17% to 22%. A host of risk factors have been linked to the development of PPD. A detailed biopsychosocial evaluation is important for the assessment of patients with PPD. Breastfeeding is not a contraindication for the use of antidepressants. Conclusions: One in every six females develops PPD after delivery and untreated PPD can have a grievous impact on mother, child, and mother–child interaction. Hence, all women should be screened for depression during the antenatal and postnatal periods.