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Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine pp 1518–1520Cite as

Postpartum Depression

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  • 159 Accesses

Synonyms

Major depressive disorder; Postpartum blues

Definition

Postpartum depression is moderate to severe depression in a woman after she has given birth. It may occur soon after delivery or up to a year later. Most of the time, it occurs within the first 3 months after delivery.

Description

Major depressive disorder with a postpartum onset (PPD) is a prevalent and serious disorder. Postpartum major depression (PPMD) is moderate to severe depression in a woman after she has given birth, clinically resembling major depression as described in DSM-IV. Feelings of anxiety, irritation, tearfulness, and restlessness are common in the week or two after pregnancy. These feelings are often called the postpartum blues or “baby blues.” These symptoms almost remit without the need for treatment. Postpartum depression may occur when the baby blues do not fade away or when signs of depression start 1 or more months after childbirth. Up to 20% of women will have an initial major depressive episode...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sleep Medicine Institute and Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Dr. Michele L. Okun

Authors
  1. Dr. Michele L. Okun
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Correspondence to Michele L. Okun .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Behavioral Medicine Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA

    Marc D. Gellman

  2. Cardiovascular Safety, Quintiles, Durham, NC, USA

    J. Rick Turner

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Okun, M.L. (2013). Postpartum Depression. In: Gellman, M.D., Turner, J.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_826

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_826

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-1004-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-1005-9

  • eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine

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