Abstract
This chapter is concerned with the social context of maternal distress and depression. The first part of the chapter looks at distress and depression during the early postpartum period. It has been suggested (in Chapter 3) that both pregnancy and childbirth are highly stressful life events, and it would appear that some degree of maternal distress is almost universally present amongst women who have recently given birth. Consequently, the first part of the chapter documents some of the relevant research in this area.
Rather, what appears to happen is that women experience increased distress and less satisfaction in their relationships particularly with their spouse... taken together with the blues that women frequently experience during the first week postpartum it is clear that women should be prepared for these disturbing changes.
(O’Hara et al., 1990, p. 14)
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© 1997 Jane Littlewood and Nessa McHugh
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Littlewood, J., McHugh, N. (1997). Sociological Explanations of the Origins of Postnatal Distress and Depression. In: Maternal Distress and Postnatal Depression. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-13755-8_5
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