Is Postpartum Depression Different from Major Depressive Disorder?
- Kirstin Leigh Pareja
- Jun 7, 2019
- 2 min read
Updated: May 10, 2020
Since the time I shared about my journey through Postpartum Depression, a lot of people have asked me if Postpartum Depression (PPD) is different from Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) or how does Postpartum Depression differ from depression?
Let’s start by looking into technical definitions based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). These two references help identify and classify disorders accordingly. Based on these two systems, they do not recognize PPD as a separate diagnosis from MDD. So, PPD is an MDD, just with a peripartum onset specifier of ‘from pregnancy to four weeks after birth’. When we say ‘onset pacifier’, it means that a mental health professional can provide “for a more specific diagnosis, which assists in treatment and prognosis”[1] . On layman’s term, PPD is an MDD with symptoms that start from pregnancy to four weeks after birth.
Although having the peripartum onset specifier is already a big step on acknowledging the presence of depression during and after birth, Postpartum Support International still argues that the onset specifier be extended to at least six months after birth. This is based on the organization’s experience that some mothers experience symptoms of depression at a later time postpartum. They also recommend that the same specifier be indicated in other mood disorders such as for anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, hypomania, and traumatic stress disorders. Doing so would let mental health professionals give more informed and accurate care and treatment to postpartum patients, both mothers and fathers.
Major Depressive Disorders with Peripartum Onset Specifiers include symptoms which start from pregnancy to four weeks after birth, such as: _Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day. _ Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day. _ Significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain, or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day. _ A slowing down of thought and a reduction of physical movement (observable by others, not merely subjective feelings of restlessness or being slowed down). _ Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day. _ Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt nearly every day. _ Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day. _ Recurrent thoughts of death, recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide.
Depression also largely differs from sadness as outlined in this article.
If you seem to experience symptoms of depression and your relationships with your husband and/or child becomes greatly affected, there is hope and there is help. A list of Mental Health professionals and services can be found in this Iloilo City directory as gathered by the Global Shapers Iloilo community. Here is also a comprehensive national and international directory as compiled by Silakbo PH.
As I have personally testified, there is hope and there is help.
If you need to talk to someone, our organization, Postpartum Heroes, is open to listen to you. Don’t hesitate to send us a message.
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