According to the CMAJ (also known as Canadian Medical Association Journal) it is important to make in depth studies regarding postpartum depression and the relationship between depression and suicide so that the specialists will have more insight into the matter.
Major Causes
The world was shocked by the recent suicide of a mother in Manitoba and the death of her two children. Such shocking events make people realize that there is more to postpartum depression than meets the eye.
Efforts to Understand
In some countries, like the United Kingdom, there are case-by-case studies to understand the reasons of women who decide to take such extreme measures. According to the specialists, in the UK, the majority of women who die within six months of giving birth are affected by postpartum depression. Their rate is higher than the deaths caused by any other illness or complication connected to childbirth, including heart disease.
What the Specialists Have to Say
Those who understand the importance of the problem say that it is important to investigate the death of every new mother. It is also important to see whether the cause of their death has been due to failure in care. The main point is not to blame someone, but to learn what people could do otherwise to avoid future deaths of mothers.
Physicians
Although the researchers can perform great efforts to help women, it is all in vain if the doctors don’t keep an eye out for the signs of postpartum depression. In case they see any worrisome signs, it is a must for them to refer the patients to receive specialized care.
Lack of Treatment
There are a lot of barriers that can stop women from receiving the care that they would need. It is the job of society to find out more about these barriers and to remove them. Conducting studies to find out why some women fall through the cracks is the perfect place to start. If we understand the reasons of women, we can make sure that there won’t be any more victims of postpartum depression who can’t cope with being a mother.
People have to realize that this is a problem which requires immediate attention because it could affect any new mother and the truth is that the majority of people can’t recognize the signs which makes depression an even more dangerous condition; one can never know when and where it will appear.
