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Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants
Published on: June 13, 2021
Postpartum depression: diagnostic and treatment issues
Verinder Sharma1, Priya Sharma2
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London ON; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Western Ontario, London ON; Consultant Psychiatrist, Women's Clinic, London Health Sciences Centre, London ON.
Postpartum depression is the most common psychiatric complication of child-bearing. Despite the potentially deleterious effects of postpartum depression on the mother and her infant, the disorder is often unrecognized and untreated. Women may be reluctant to seek professional help because of the stigma of mental illness, or they may be unwilling to try medication because of concerns about safety during lactation. In this review of postpartum depression, we discuss its clinical presentation, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and treatment.
Postpartum depression is the most common psychiatric complication of child-bearing. Despite the potentially deleterious effects of postpartum depression on the mother and her infant, the disorder is often unrecognized and untreated. Women may be reluctant to seek professional help because of the stigma of mental illness, or they may be unwilling to try medication because of concerns about safety during lactation. In this review of postpartum depression, we discuss its clinical presentation, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and treatment.
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