Perinatal depression: When to refer?

Abstract

There is no doubt that the perinatal period is a time of high risk for the onset of depressive disorders associated with a considerable number in morbidity and mortality, as well as maternal suicide. Psychosocial factors, such as partner conflict, poor social support, ongoing stressful life, and perinatal mental illness, among others, often lead to complications during the pregnancy and the postpartum period. These disorders include depression, anxiety disorders, and postpartum psychosis. Perinatal depression and anxiety are common, with prevalence rates, of major and minor depression, as high as nearly 20 % during pregnancy and the first three months after delivery. Perinatal depression includes a diverse group of clinical subtypes; it is necessary to know how to distinguish them, to enhance the diagnosis, to differentiate symptomatic manifestations, and to improve treatment outcomes and sensible referral in one of the happiest and unique moments in a woman's life: The birth of a child.