Postpartum depression is the most common type of female psychiatric disorder, and is a series of physical, emotional, and psychological changes brought about by changes in a woman’s sex hormones, social role, and psychology after childbirth. Typically, postpartum depression occurs within 6 weeks after delivery and can last throughout the puerperium, and in some cases, even until young children go to school. The incidence of postpartum depression ranges from 15% to 30%. Postpartum depression usually develops within 6 weeks and can recover on its own in 3-6 months, but it can last for 1-2 years in severe cases, and there is a 20%-30% recurrence rate for another pregnancy.
What is the differential diagnosis of postpartum depression?
1.Postpartum psychosis Psychosis is prone to occur within 30 days after delivery, showing emotional instability, disorganized speech, strange behavior, hallucinations, strange thoughts, etc. The above-mentioned manifestations, which are not consistent with the manifestations of postpartum depression, should be diagnosed under other corresponding psychiatric categories.
2, secondary depressive disorder Depressive disorder can be caused by organic brain disease, somatic diseases, certain drugs and psychoactive substances (such as alcohol, methamphetamine, etc.), the two differentiation points are as follows: secondary depressive disorder should have a clear history of organic brain disease, history of somatic diseases, history of drug and psychoactive substance use; physical examination and laboratory tests have corresponding changes, consciousness, memory, intelligence problems may occur. Depressive symptoms improve with the improvement of the primary disease condition and worsen with the aggravation of the primary disease condition.
3, personality disorders Mood changes are personality problems or diseases, note that personality is a consistent pattern of emotions and behavior of a person, while depressive disorders have a clear time of onset, pathological mood disorders need to last for a certain period of time.
Different types of mental illnesses are treated differently, so the type of illness must be diagnosed in order to treat the symptoms.