Mental health is essential for everyone including pregnant women. Perinatal or pregnancy depression affects about 1 in 8 new mothers annually in the United States. It can have a devastating effect on the mother as well as the infant.
Risk factors that can be used to identify individuals at risk for perinatal depression include:
- a history of depression
- history of physical or sexual abuse
- unplanned or unwanted pregnancy
- stressful life events
- intimate partner violence
- complications during pregnancy
Additionally, low socioeconomic status, lack of social support, and bearing children during adolescence have been associated with a greater risk of developing perinatal depression after delivery.
The Edinburgh postpartum depression test can screen effectively for your risk of having postpartum depression.
In addition, the interactive Zhung Self-Rating Depression Scale Quiz checks the level of depression to help decide how severe it could be.
