After Birth, Then What? What You Need to Know About PostPartum Psychosis
This article discusses the prevalence and severity of postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis among new mothers globally. It highlights the lack of diagnosis in many regions and emphasizes the need for medical intervention for these serious mental health conditions.
Why it matters
Raising awareness about postpartum mental health is critical for maternal safety and reducing the stigma surrounding medical emergencies after childbirth.
Every year, one in five mothers who give birth globally will experience postpartum depression. A meta-analysis of 565 studies across 80 countries puts the prevalence at 17.22% The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 13 to 20%.
In developing nations, it rises to 19.8% . More than half of these cases go undiagnosed. Women suffer in silence, invisible in the data.
When a baby arrives in an African home, the family rejoices, offers prayers, holds naming ceremonies, welcomes visitors and receives congratulations.
But what happens when the celebration stops? When the visitors leave and the mother is left alone with a newborn she is still learning to hold, what happens next?
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