Though millions of people have experienced symptoms of postpartum depression, the disorder remains widely misunderstood. Common questions include who is at greatest risk, how long can postpartum depression last, and how is it treated?
What Is Postpartum Depression?
Postpartum depression (PPD) is a mental health condition whose symptoms occur either while a person is pregnant or shortly after they have given birth.
In the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), PPD is referred to as “major depressive disorder with peripartum onset.”
What Does PPD Feel Like?
Many symptoms of PPD are similar to what a person with major depressive disorder would experience, such as:
- Persistent sadness
- Lack of energy and motivation
- Loss of interest in most activities
- Restlessness
- Difficulty focusing and concentrating
- Indecisiveness
- Abnormal sleep patterns
- Significant change in appetite
- Sense of inappropriate guilt
- Recurrent thoughts of death and dying
Symptoms that are specific to postpartum depression include:
- Inability to bond with the infant
- Belief that they are a bad parent
- Thoughts of harming or killing the child
The DSM-5 estimates that between 1 in 500 and 1 in 1,000 people who give birth will have PPD with psychotic symptoms. These can include auditory hallucinations to kill the baby or delusions that the baby is possessed.
How Long Can Postpartum Depression Last?
To qualify as major depressive disorder with peripartum onset as defined in the DSM-5, symptoms must begin while a person is pregnant or within four weeks after they have given birth.
Though the timeframe for symptom onset has clear limits, there’s no standard answer to the question of how long can postpartum depression last? The duration and severity of symptoms can vary considerably from one person to the next.
In November 2020, the journal Pediatrics published a study of postpartum depression involving 4866 mothers who were assessed at 4, 12, 24, and 36 months after giving birth. That study found 25% of mothers had “elevated depression symptoms” three years after their child was born.
Other findings included:
- 74.7% of participants had mild symptoms at every assessment point
- 8.2% experienced symptoms that were mild at first but became stronger over time
- 12.6% started with moderate symptoms that decreased over time
- 4.5% had strong symptoms throughout the study period
What Causes Postpartum Depression?
Everyone who develops postpartum depression shares one characteristic: they are (or currently were) pregnant. But most people who become pregnant don’t experience PPD. So other influences are clearly involved.
As enumerated in an October 2022 study in the Cureus Journal of Medical Science, the major risk factors for postpartum depression include:
- Prior struggles with mental illness
- History of being abused
- Lack of social and spousal support
- Gestational diabetes
- Negative birth experience
- Preterm delivery
- Having a baby with low birth weight
Other risk factors include:
- Lower socioeconomic status
- Body dissatisfaction
- Pre-pregnancy obesity
- Giving birth via cesarean section
- History of multiple births
How Many People Develop PPD?
Estimates of how many people develop postpartum depression vary, but there is little doubt that the condition is widespread:
- The DSM-5 reports that about 3%-6% of women will have a major depressive episode while pregnant or within a few months of giving birth.
- Experts with the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Dow University of Health Sciences have reported that postpartum affects one in seven people (14.3%) who give birth. Those experts also noted that about 50% of PPD cases are likely never diagnosed.
- A November 2024 JAMA Network Open study found that diagnoses of postpartum depression in Southern California rose from 9.4% in 2010 to 19.0% in 2021.
Data collected by the United Nations indicates that there were about 134 million births across the globe in 2024. Even if we applied the relatively low estimates in the DSM-5, that would mean between 4 million and 8 million people experienced PPD that year alone.
How Is Postpartum Depression Treated?
Treatment for postpartum depression may involve therapy, medication, education on lifestyle changes, and efforts to ensure that the patient receives additional support.
Depending on the type and severity of a person’s symptoms, the medication component of their PPD treatment may include antidepressants, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, or other options.
Types of therapy that have proved to be particularly beneficial for PPD patients include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and interpersonal therapy (IPT). People with postpartum depression often take part in individual and group therapy sessions, as well family therapy and couples counseling.
Holistic services such as red light therapy, bright light therapy, acupuncture, massage, and exercise therapy have also shown promise at reducing the symptoms of postpartum depression.
There’s no single type of treatment or course of care that works for every patient. This is why it is so important to find a provider that will take the time to understand your unique circumstances, then develop a customized plan that reflects your specific needs, goals, and expectations.
Learn More About Treatment for Postpartum Depression in
Valor Behavioral Health provides customized outpatient care for individuals who have developed postpartum depression and other mental health concerns.
Treatment options at our outpatient center in Atlanta, GA, include a partial hospitalization program (PHP), an intensive outpatient program (IOP), and a virtual IOP. In each of these programs, you can expect to receive individualized services and comprehensive support from a team of dedicated professionals who are truly invested in your success.
To learn more about how we can help you or a loved one, or to schedule a free assessment, please visit our Admissions Contact page or call us today.
