PPD is a myth?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3503102.stm

Experts attack baby blues 'myth'

Dr Lee says 'medicalising' mums robs them of confidence
Too many new mothers are wrongly labeled as having postnatal depression,
researchers have claimed.

They are set to tell a conference in London this weekend that the estimate
that a fifth of new mums suffer depression is "wrong".

They believe health professionals waste time looking for signs of illness.

Sociologist Ellie Lee said: "This new trend to label parenting a threat to
mental health risks branding an essential part of life a hazard."


Parents are being encouraged not to cope
Dr Ellie Lee
She added: "Mothers aren't mad or sad."

Dr Lee, who wrote 'Abortion, Motherhood, and Mental Health' will attack what
she sees as the "current cultural obsession" with postnatal depression at a
seminar at the Institute of Ideas on Sunday.

She believes modern mothers are no different to those of previous
generations - strong, resilient and well-equipped to cope.

'Constructing a problem'

Dr Lee said "medicalising" parenting may rob mothers of self-confidence and
label motherhood itself a problem.

"Culture has developed an inexorable tendency to medicalise and make
everyday experience difficult.

"There is every possibility that, through doing so, parents will come to
experience the normal disruption that parenting beings with it, as highly
disabling, and find themselves less able to manage.

"This is not about the recognition of an existing problem but the
construction of a new one. Parents are being encouraged not to cope."

Brid Hehir, a former health visitor who will also speak at the seminar,
added: "The belief that 10-15% of women will suffer postnatal depression
after the birth of a baby is now widespread, but false in my estimation.

"Health care professionals, midwives, health visitors and GPs in particular,
are wasting scarce NHS resources searching out postnatal depression in women
(and men) when evidence for the existence of this as a condition peculiar to
the post-natal period does not exist."

She added: "In my experience labelling women 'depressed' does nobody any
favours.

"It encourages women to feel vulnerable and generates unnecessary work for
already busy health professionals."

But Diane Nehme from the Association for Postnatal depression said: "The
everyday traumas of motherhood are not comparable with postnatal depression.

"We estimate that around 15 to 17% of mothers do suffer from depression."

--

Jenn
-WAHM
-DS Feb'92
-DD Feb'97
-Jellyfish due June 25/04

Don't bet on it!

gloria p

On Fri, 12 Mar 2004 21:10:28 GMT, "Fer" wrote:

"The belief that 10-15% of women will suffer postnatal depression
after the birth of a baby is now widespread, but false in my estimation.

It sounds like these ladies have never experienced PND. False, my
ass. This will lead to people NOT being sympathetic to those who do
suffer PND. "Oh, you can't have PND because there is no such thing."

They are doing women a huge disservice.

--
Daye
Momma to Jayan and Leopold
See Jayan and Leo: http://www.aloofhosting.com/jayleo/
Updated 28 Feb 2004