Identifying and treating postpartum depression with Effexor

Postpartum depression isn't only one of the most devastating diseases that a woman can develop - by its nature, it shows up at a time when a mother's instincts and health are most necessary. While treatment of postpartum depression can be helpful, especially the use of therapeutic drugs like Effexor, a large-scale study by Northwestern Medicine reveals that a surprisingly high number of women experience this particular condition.

How widely spread is this condition?
The study, which was published in JAMA Psychiatry recently, is the most extensive screening of depression in postpartum women, covering 10,000 women who had all recently delivered children at a obstetrical hospital. According to the author, 14 percent of the women participating screened positive for depression. Of this group, 826 women received psychiatric assessments. The study's findings note that 19.3 percent of these women thought of harming themselves. Study author Katherine Wisner, M.D., director of Northwestern Medicine's Asher Center for the Study and Treatment of Depressive Disorders, says that these cases could easily have gone unnoticed and screenings could save lives.

Not only are mothers' well being and lives at risk from postpartum depression, the infants themselves could develop health concerns. According to the study, at least several suicidal women were saved by the researchers' health screenings during the course of the surveys and evaluations. Wisner stresses that many women don't understand what's happening to them during deep cases of postpartum depression. They may think they're just experiencing stress, or that these overwhelming feelings are a natural part of having a child.

The study also found that many of the women who screened positive for postpartum depression had experience with the disease in the past, usually at least one depressive episode or a continuing anxiety disorder. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's most recent data on rates of depression indicate that more than 1 in 20 Americans over the age of 12 report depression, putting a large portion of the female population at risk. The CDC also reports that according to a national survey, 8 percent of . 

Wisner's study makes a call for better prenatal and postpartum screening, as well as more cost effective and accessible treatment - including affordable drug therapy. While Canadian online pharmacy can help individuals suffering from depression purchase cheaper medications, that only solves part of the problem. In order to treat patients, screenings need to be able to diagnose them first.