Post Natal Illness info
Baby Blues Puerperal Psychosis Post Natal Depression
CBT & Online Self Help Programmes
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Onset day 3-5 |
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Affects 50 - 80% of all new mums |
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Norm - not disorder |
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No treatment required |
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Spontaneous remission within days |
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Other extreme of severity & frequency |
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1 or 2 births per 1000 |
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9 times increased risk over non-puerperal women |
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Loss of contact with reality |
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Delusions, confusion, depression or mania |
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Bizarre behaviour/speech |
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Onset within 14 days, maybe later, or recognised later. Dramatic presentation |
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Urgent referral Mental Health Services |
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Good prognosis |
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? Variant of Bipolar Disorder |
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? Women carry genetically determined susceptibility |
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Recent explanation - ? due to hypersensitivity of central D2 receptors, which may be related to effects of oestrogen withdrawal on the function on the dopamine systems |
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Previous history of affective psychosis – risk between 1 in 3, and 1 in 2 (even higher if previously manic) |
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Family history of affective psychosis 1 in 3 |
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General population – 1 in 1000 |
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Childbirth is known to increase the risk of psychosis by at least 16 fold (Kendall et al 1987) and threefold for non-psychotic PND (Cox et al 1993) |
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2 per 1000 of the delivered population will be admitted suffering from puerperal psychosis, but women suffering from..severe PND are also likely to be admitted |
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Links for further information on Puerperal Psychosis |
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Clinical depression in postnatal year |
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Affects 10-15% of all new mums |
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Gradual onset |
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50% onset by 3 months, 75% by 6 months |
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Non-psychotic depression |
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No loss of contact with reality |
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Have Insight – know that something’s wrong |
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Clinical Depression diagnosable if depressed mood for 2 weeks or more |
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Risk of PND increases threefold if previous history of severe depression |
PND Symptoms
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Depression |
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Irritability |
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Fatigue |
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Sleeplessness |
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Loss of appetite |
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Loss of enjoyment |
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Not coping |
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Anxiety |
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Tearfulness and despondency |
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Lack of affection |
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Loss of interest in sex |
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Chronic exhaustion or hyperactivity |
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Inadequate sleep, unrelated to baby's needs: Sudden waking, bad dreams, early waking, inability to sleep even when exhausted, over-sleeping |
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Appetite Disturbances: Loss of appetite, forgetting to eat, over eating |
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Crying or wanting to cry for no obvious reason |
Causes and Vulnerability
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Genetic susceptibility |
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Previous history of depression |
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Hormonal changes? (not proven) |
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Psycho-social circumstances |
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Lack of support |
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Cognitive style (negative thinking?) |
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Premature or ill baby |
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Tiredness |
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The mother's loss of her own mother when a child |
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Difficult labour |
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Unwanted pregnancy |
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Specific events |
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Physical vulnerability |
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Relationship problems |
Consequences of PND
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Distressing at the time |
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'Loss' of baby's first months |
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Long term regret |
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Risk of effect on child development |
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Risk of effect on relationship/marriage |
Links - Self Help
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Guernsey Information & Support Groups |
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Guernsey Postnatal Depression Support Group |
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Self Help resources - online and workbooks |
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PNI-UK national support group |
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Post Natal Depression Printable self help booklet |
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Self Help Booklets (printable) Northumberland NHS Trust |
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Self Help Booklets (printable) CARMHA |
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Feel Better Learning to overcome depression |
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Self Help advice & further info mama.co.uk |
Information Leaflets (printable)
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Post Natal Depression RCPsych |
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Understanding PND Mind |
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Post Natal Mental Health RCPsych |
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Baby Blues RCOG |
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Post Puerperal Psychosis mama.co.uk |
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Post Puerperal Psychosis RCPsych |
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Treatment for PND Lancashire NHS |
Books - Post Natal mental health
Books - Depression
If you know of any other useful sites that should be listed here - contact me
I do not endorse any of the above links - I have not checked the whole content of each site. In most cases I have only visited their Home Page
31 May 2008
Now Play This A Child's War 8 in a Bar
