Depression with Postpartum Onset (Postpartum Depression) Web Resources Reviewed by Rachael Thompson

Transcription

1 Depression with Postpartum Onset (Postpartum Depression) Web Resources Reviewed by Rachael Thompson Women s Mental Health website (N.D.). Postpartum Depression. This website distinguishes between postpartum blues, postpartum depressions, and postpartum psychosis. Postpartum blues refers to a mood disturbance characterized by labile behavior, tearfulness, anxiety and irritability rather than sadness. The website gives symptoms of postpartum depression, such as depressed or sad mood, fatigue, feelings of guilt, change in appetite, sleep disturbance and suicidal thoughts. The website also provides a link to an online test to assess symptoms. The website instructs if an individual receives above a certain score on this test she gets further evaluation. The website describes that postpartum psychosis is rare and likely represents an episode of bipolar disorder. It states the symptoms of this are delusional thinking, confusion, erratic behavior, and a rapid shift between depressed and elated moods. The website also describes some of the causes of postpartum depression, such as rapid shift in hormones. It provides information on who is at higher risk of experiencing this; it mentions people who have a history of depression or bipolar disorder, who are experiencing stressful life events, and those who have inadequate support are all more likely to suffer from postpartum depression. The website provides information on different treatments that includes both pharmacological treatments and types of therapy. Lastly the website provides information on how to prevent postpartum depression and other resources on postpartum depression.

2 This website provides good information and provides a brief overview of the disorder. The list of symptoms that the website describes are symptoms of postpartum depression, but they are also typical behaviors of women dealing with the new adjustment of having a baby. There is no emphasis on loss of interest and depressed mood as signifiers that this life change may be more than just a reaction to an adjustment. There are only a few symptoms described and it does not provide sufficient explanation of these symptoms. The quiz provided may be a good starting point for those who think they may have this disorder but do not want to get evaluated because the quiz assess common depressive symptoms. The website does emphasize that women get further assessed especially if they have a history of mental health disorders. Women s Health.gov website (N.D.). Depression during and after pregnancy: Frequently asked questions. depression-pregnancy.cfm This website uses very broad terms to provide information on postpartum depression. It gives a brief definition of depression and its prevalence. It provides a list of symptoms of depression and briefly distinguishes between baby blues, postpartum depression, and postpartum psychosis. It provides information of risk factors for depression and how the depression can be treated. It says that people can either take medication or attend talk therapy for help with depression. It also advises those who think they may have the disorder go to their doctor who will be able to ask questions to test for depression. At the bottom of the page it lists several additional resources that can be helpful to those seeking information and support. This website really simplifies depression. It briefly describes the symptoms and seems to be designed so that anyone will be able to understand the symptoms. It fails to describe the

3 seriousness of the disorder; this is apparent in the description of hints to help the depression. This may be a good website to help some understand basic components, but it really downplays the seriousness of this disorder. It also may deter a person from getting the proper help that she needs from a mental health professional. The best aspect about this website is the list of reputable resources it provides. Postpartum Support International Website (N.D.). Postpartum Support. This website is designed to provide information and support to those suffering or affected by a person suffering from postpartum depression. It provides information on local support resources and events and gives the number for the Postpartum Depression Hotline. It emphasizes that many people suffer from this and the importance of receiving proper help. It provides information on national events and national legislative updates. It also has links to media stories about the disorder. The website provides information for professionals on how to get training to treat and preventing perinatal mood disorders. The website also offers some free support services, but much of the services require a paid membership. This website offers some support and information, but this is limited. It is a good resource for those who want to pay for services and resources. At first it seems that is provides a lot of valuable information and support, but once it is investigated further it provides limited support for those who are not members. It also provides resources for professional who want to get trained by this organization. Overall, this is not a good support website for those who do not want to become members.

4 Revolution Health Website (N.D.) Managing Postpartum Depression. This website emphasizes that postpartum depression is a serious medical condition and that the best treatment for it is a combination of counseling and medication. It gives a list and a description of the symptoms. It also provides information on why treatment is important and types of treatments that are offered. It has of list of activities that a woman can do at home to help better their mood. After each section there are yes or no questions used to assess individual s knowledge about their own symptoms. The website instructs individuals who think that they may have the disorder to print out the list of questions and take it to their doctor. This website provides a well-rounded look at this disorder. It gives good description of symptoms and encourages people to get professional help. The questions offer feedback when they are clicked on that explains why or why not the answer was correct. This will help clear up any misconceptions people have about the disorder. I think that this is a good resource for people who have questions about the disorder. This website would be good for women who may think that they have this disorder or family members who have questions. This good source of information and may also help to reduce the stigma that women feel because it refutes common incorrect beliefs about the disorder. AARP Website (N.D.) Health Illustrated Encyclopedia: Postpartum Depression. KNC-360i-GOOGLE- HEA&HBX_OU=50&HBX_PK=depression_postpartum

5 The website gives a definition of postpartum depression and also gives a link to the definition of depression. It provides a thorough description of many causes and potential causes of the disorder. It also lists characteristics of people who may be at higher risk for postpartum depression. It provides a list of the symptoms and gives a link to a list of symptoms of depression. It briefly notes that there are different tests that a doctor may give someone to assess if the symptoms are those of postpartum depression. The website also states that there are other disorders that may have similar symptoms, and it gives the example of hypothyroidism. The website states that counseling, medication, and support groups can all help treat the disorder. It emphasizes the importance of seeking professional help and states that even with support and good relationships a woman can still suffer from depression. This is the best website that I found for postpartum depression. It provides a decent amount of information on the disorder and it was the only disorder that described postpartum depression as depression with a postpartum onset. It provides a list of the symptoms that it stated are often present in addition to a depressed mood. It also does a good job at emphasizing the importance of getting professional help. This is a very good website for loved ones of people with the disorder because it not only provides information, but it may also help to reduce stigma and blame.