Postnatal depression: a review of recent literature

Depression affects 5-22% of women after childbirth. Some women with postnatal depression will experience a prolonged or relapsing illness that may last until their children enter school. It has adverse effects upon the coping abilities of women, their relationships with their infants, partners and social networks and may adversely affect the educational attainment and behaviour of their children. Since many more women are now active in the workforce, the effects of postnatal depression have obvious economic consequences both for their families and their employers. This article discusses the association between depression and the puerperium and reviews the evidence for vulnerability factors that may make a woman prone to depression. It is suggested that women with, or vulnerable to, postnatal depression can be identified and helped.