Preventing Postnatal Depression Without Drugs
According to a new study from the University of Toronto, all that’s needed to reduce postnatal depression by half is a good, long heart-to-heart chat. The study suggests the chat could be with a nurse, but also could be from another woman who survived pregnancy and childbirth. This heart-to-heart didn’t have to be face-to-face, but could be done by telephone.
Of course, a 100% way to prevent postnatal depression is not to get pregnant, but that blatantly obvious fact was not addressed in the study.
How The Study Worked
The study followed 701 Candian women through the web from their late term stages until 12 weeks after giving birth. The study noted that they originally has 21,000 pregnant women volunteer, from which they selected the 701 that fit the criteria as high-risk for getting postnatal depression. Just what are they doing in Canada, eh? (Sly wink).
Some of the 701 recieved the usual postnatal care while some others received phone calls referred to as “peer support”. About 80% of this group said they were satisfied with the peer support they were given and would recommend it to a friend. Certainly, there must be more things to do in Canada other than get pregnant.
About Postnatal Depression
All kidding aside, postnatal depression is a serious problem in women. Perhaps the most famous woman in the world who suffered from this was Brooke Shields. But, according to the BBC, one in ten women who give birth develop postnatal depression.
The ususal way to treat postnatal depression is with antidepressants under the care of a doctor or gyneologist. The symptoms can last from a few weeks until two years after the birth. Many women with postnatal depression won’t seek treatment because they don’t think they can be treated.
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