Postpartum Depression Impact

Postpartum Depression’s Impact On Marriages

In order to understand what is postpartum depression first is important to know what is the meaning of depression in general. This paper will focus on postpartum depression (PPD) and how affects marriage base on the story “The

Yellow Wallpaper” by Perkins Gilman.

Depression is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and that affects the way a person eats, sleeps, feels about himself or herself, and thinks about things. Depression is not the same as a passing blue mood. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be wished away. People with depression cannot merely 'pull themselves together' and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or

Postpartum depression has significant emotional impacts on the mother. These effects include lack of support from a sexual partner, feelings of loss of control over one’s life, identity crisis, and anxiety about motherhood and sleep deprivation (Dennis &

Dowswell, 2013). Importantly, medication, counseling, and support groups can be very helpful under such circumstances.

Little research has been conducted on the impact of postpartum depression on family life. However, in a study of a non-postpartum group of depressed patients, the impact on partners was found to be considerable and far-reaching, including restrictions in social and leisure activities (going out less frequently, seeing people less often), a fall in family income, and a considerable strain on the marital relationship (Fadden, Bebbington, and Kuipers 1987). A questionnaire study of a small sample found the same adverse impact in the case of postpartum depression

(Boath, Pryce, and Cox 1998). Interestingly, the partners of women with postpartum

Puello 3 depression have been found to have a significantly elevated rate of depression themselves (Ballard et al.

This attitude exemplifies two distinct roles: the narrator’s husband, who personifies order, authority, and law, and the narrator who has no other choice but to be restraint to the role of good mother and wife, or as the feminists would call the angel in the house. It seems that society is one of the causes that motivate John to make certain decisions towards his wife and also the lack of knowledge of the mental illness.

In today’s world treatment for Post Partum Depression is: Individual or

Marriage counseling, hormone therapy, antidepressants, support from others, trying to sleep, eat, exercise, sunshine and express feelings.

Postpartum depression is believed to develop as a result of changes in the level of hormones that occur during a period of pregnancy. Therefore, any woman can develop postpartum depression within the first few weeks or months after birth, stillbirth or even miscarriage. Several factors put a woman at risk of postpartum pregnancy. If a female had depression or even postpartum depression before, she is likely to suffer from postpartum depression (Rutter, 2009). Support is also very crucial when it comes to postpartum depression. If a woman receives