Thousands of women 'suffer in silence' from post-natal depression

Despite a better understanding of post-natal depression, thousands of women suffer from the debilitating condition in silence and do not seek professional medical help.

Although one in ten mothers are thought to suffer from post-natal depression to some degree, half of those affected do not get any form of professional help, according to a report from the charity 4Children.

A culture of fear and a lack of awareness still pervade many parents. While 60% of those who did not seek help for their depression did not believe their symptoms were serious enough for treatment, 29% didn’t realise they were suffering from post-natal depression.

It appears that for many stigma is still attached to post-natal depression. A third of those affected said they were too scared to tell anyone because they were afraid of what the consequences would be for themselves and their baby.

The charity estimates that this form of depression affects up to 35,000 women each year.

It says thousands more women do not get their depression treated quickly or effectively enough because of short-comings in screening and referrals, with an over-reliance on anti-depressants.

While NICE guidelines state that ‘talking therapy’ should be offered to women with mild or moderate diagnosis, this is often not offered as an option by GP's.

From the survey, 70% were prescribed with anti-depressants, compared with 41% offered talking therapy.

The effects of post-natal depression go beyond that of the mother and baby and their bonding; it can put undue pressure on the whole family unit, leading to relationship difficulties with partners and older siblings.

The report found that 65% of women wanted more information on support groups while 46% had not been satisfied with the information they received on the symptoms.

Anne Longfield, chief executive of 4Children, said: "So many women have to rely on luck to come across a sympathetic GP or health visitor who will lead them to the right course of treatment. This report calls for an end to the neglect of this destructive and prevalent illness to ensure that every mother is guaranteed the practical and emotional support she needs to avoid her unnecessary suffering and that of her family."

Post-natal symptoms include: Long periods of feeling miserable; a lack of energy, feeling constantly tired and unable to cope; sleeping problems; feeling overwhelmed and excessive anxiety about the health and safety of the baby.

The report from 4Children is based on research undertaken this summer through the parenting club, Bounty, which questioned more than 2,000 mothers.

This article was published on Mon 3 October 2011