Postnatal Depression: Onset, Prevalence and Consequences
There were 22 filicide cases recorded in Australia between July 2008 and June 2010, or 11 per year on average. Seven involved the death of a child less than one year of age (Chan & Payne, 2013). Postnatal depression, or PND, figures largely in these sad statistics; it has been estimated that at least one in five mothers of full-term infants suffers from it (Priest et al, 2005, in Statewide Obstetrics Support Unit, 2007), with one to four women per thousand giving birth suffering from post-partum psychosis, resulting in an inability to distinguish right from wrong (Schwartz & Isser, 2007). Filicide is the extreme tragic result of PND disorder. In this article, we provide you with a brief overview of postnatal depression; including its outset, prevalence, consequences and risk factors. »
