Postpartum Depression

Abstract

Perinatal care, including the management of mental health issues, is often under the auspices of primary care providers. This chapter provides an overview of identification, diagnosis, and treatment of postpartum depression (PPD). It reviews the prevalence of PPD in the general and minority populations, related disorders, common symptoms, and genetic and psychosocial risk factors to facilitate PPD management in the primary care clinic. The most commonly employed screening scale, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, has several advantages in the primary care setting. The potential adverse consequences of untreated PPD on the mother and her family underscore the importance of identifying and providing effective interventions, including preventive strategies, in high-risk groups. As a class, antidepressant medications have amassed a large reproductive safety literature, including considerable data in breastfeeding and women with PPD. Notably, psychosocial therapies have demonstrated equal efficacy in women with PPD and are viable treatment options.