Department

Social Work

Date of Paper/Work

2016

Degree Name

Master of Social Work (M.S.W.)

Type of Paper/Work

Clinical research paper

Advisors

Ande Nesmith

Abstract

Postpartum depression negatively affects the lives of newborns and their mothers. This mental health concern can also affect the lives of fathers, partners, and older children. If left untreated, postpartum depression can be life-threatening for both mother and newborn. The importance of understanding the risk factors of postpartum depression is extremely important for the wellbeing expecting mothers and their families. A quantitative research study was conducted to understand if the type of birth experience affects a mother's chance of developing postpartum depression. Results from this study indicate the type of birth did have an impact on a mother's chance of developing postpartum depression. In addition, social and emotional support, planned versus unplanned pregnancy, single pregnancy versus multiple pregnancy, vaginal, planned Cesarean and unplanned Cesarean section, past and family history of generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder all contributed to if a mother developed postpartum depression after giving birth.

Keywords

postpartum depression, birth experience

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

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