Postpartum Depression

Postpartum depression, also known as perinatal depression, is a mood disorder that may be experienced by pregnant or postpartum women, with symptoms including extreme sadness, low energy, anxiety, crying episodes, irritability, and extreme changes in sleeping or eating patterns. Its exact cause is unclear but appears linked to a combination of physical, emotional, genetic, and social factors, including hormone imbalances and sleep deprivation, and diagnosis is generally considered once symptoms have persisted for at least two weeks. It affects an estimated 10 to 20 percent of postpartum women, typically beginning within a week to a month after childbirth, and the DSM-5 classifies it under depressive disorder with peripartum onset when symptoms arise during pregnancy or within four weeks of delivery.