Postpartum depression affects 1 in 7 mothers

The largest study to date on postpartum depression, recently published in JAMA Psychiatry, notes that some 22 percent of women suffer depression shortly after childbirth. Of those some 20 percent experience suicidal thoughts. This is a clear call for screening for expectant mothers, the study’s authors suggest, mainly because the treatment regiments for postpartum depression, whether it is therapy or pharmaceuticals, has a proven track record of being very effective.