POSTPARTUM PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS - A NEGLECTED AREA IN PAKISTAN
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55519/JAMC-03-13873Keywords:
Postpartum blues; Postpartum depression; Postpartum psychosis; Social stigma; Maternal mental health; Pakistan.Abstract
Postpartum psychiatric disorders, from mild Postpartum Blues to severe Depression and Psychosis, represent an underrepresented crisis in Pakistan. Despite their impact on maternal and neonatal health, these conditions are often misdiagnosed and untreated. Contributing factors include weak familial support, sociocultural stigma, and lack of awareness, especially in underserved areas. The negligence towards new mothers highlights the gaps in maternal mental health care in Pakistan, where regulatory frameworks are still evolving. This editorial explores the crisis, critiques existing services, and provides recommendations to improve early identification and intervention, aiming to raise awareness and provide strong support for affected mothers.References
Aliani R, Khuwaja B. Epidemiology of Postpartum Depression in Pakistan: A Review of Literature. Natl J Health Sci 2017;2(1):24–30.
Zeba D, Tanjim T, Biswas R. Postpartum mood disorders: sometimes more than "baby blues." Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Med Coll J 2023;14(2):90–3.
Sajjad A, Shah S, Abbas G, Aslam A, Randhawa F, Khurram H, et al. Treatment gap and barriers to access mental healthcare among women with postpartum depression symptoms in Pakistan. PeerJ 2024;12:e17711.
Insan N, Weke A, Rankin J, Forrest S. Perceptions and attitudes around perinatal mental health in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan: a systematic review of qualitative data. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2022;22(1):293.
Nazir H, Rowther AA, Rauf N, Atiq M, Kazi AK, Malik A, et al. ‘Those whom I have to talk to, I can’t talk to’: Perceived social isolation in the context of anxiety symptoms among pregnant women in Pakistan. Health Soc Care Community 2022;30(6):e5885–96.
Cafiero PJ, Zabala PJ. Postpartum depression: Impact on pregnant women and the postnatal physical, emotional, and cognitive development of their children. An ecological perspective. Arch Argent Pediatr 2024;122(3):e202310217.
Spinelli MG. Maternal Infanticide Associated with Mental Illness: Prevention and the Promise of Saved Lives. Am J Psychiatry 2004;161(9):1548–57.
Garad V, More A. Puerperal psychosis: An overview. Int J Midwifery Nurs Pract 2022;5(1):7–8.
Rai S, Pathak A, Sharma I. Postpartum psychiatric disorders: Early diagnosis and management. Indian J Psychiatry 2015;57(6):216.
Javed A, Khan MS, Nasar A, Rasheed A. Mental healthcare in Pakistan. Taiwan J Psychiatry 2020;34(1):6–14.
Karim S, Saeed K, Rana MH, Mubbashar MH, Jenkins R. Pakistan mental health country profile. Int Rev Psychiatry 2004;16(1–2):83–92.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Abdul Wahab Yousafzai, Shezah Khalid
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Journal of Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad is an OPEN ACCESS JOURNAL which means that all content is FREELY available without charge to all users whether registered with the journal or not. The work published by J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad is licensed and distributed under the creative commons License CC BY ND Attribution-NoDerivs. Material printed in this journal is OPEN to access, and are FREE for use in academic and research work with proper citation. J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad accepts only original material for publication with the understanding that except for abstracts, no part of the data has been published or will be submitted for publication elsewhere before appearing in J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad. The Editorial Board of J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad makes every effort to ensure the accuracy and authenticity of material printed in J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad. However, conclusions and statements expressed are views of the authors and do not reflect the opinion/policy of J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad or the Editorial Board.
USERS are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access.
AUTHORS retain the rights of free downloading/unlimited e-print of full text and sharing/disseminating the article without any restriction, by any means including twitter, scholarly collaboration networks such as ResearchGate, Academia.eu, and social media sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Scholar and any other professional or academic networking site.
