Postpartum Depression

Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Qualified Clinical Supervisor. She received her PhD in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Florida in 2002. In addition to being a practicing clinician, she has provided training to counselors, social workers, nurses and case managers internationally since 2006 through AllCEUs.com and attentive primary attachment (mother-child relationship)
- The attachment relationship also suffers from a lack of physical touch which is crucial to the development of children’s regulatory skills and the ability to cope with stress
- Toddler
- Behavioral
- Passive noncompliance
- Less mature expression of autonomy
- Internalizing and externalizing problems
- Lower interaction
- Cognitive:
- Less creative play and problem solving
- Lower cognitive performance
- School age
- Behavioral:
- Impaired adaptive functioning
- Internalizing and externalizing problems
- Affective disorders
- Conduct disorders
- Academic:
- Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder
- Lower IQ scores

Infanticide
- Many women who commit infanticide have no diagnosable mental illness that precludes them from being aware of the wrongfulness of their actions
- The exception is post-partum psychosis

Summary
- Postpartum depression affects about 20% of women
- Both the mother and partner should be screened for depressive symptoms
- While PPD can begin anytime between 20 weeks gestation and 4 weeks postpartum, untreated it can last years
- Scary thoughts are often part of PPD and should be normalized with parents
- Postpartum psychosis is ego-syntonic and will not produce “scary thoughts”
- PPD prevention involves NEST-S for both parents
- Treatments involve psychoeducation, cognitive behavioral and/or parent-child psychotherapy
- Certain SSRIs have been found to be safe when breastfeeding
- There are many triggers for PPD
- Women at risk for PPD should engage in early intervention and planning while still pregnant

Video by Dr. Dawn Elise Snipes on integrative behavioral health approaches including counseling techniques and skills for improving mental health and reducing mental illness.

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