Post-Partum Depression Vs. Psychosis

HELLO, I'M JENNIFER CRAWFORD. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. THE HIGH-PROFILE CASE OF LINDSAY CLANCY HAS PLACED THE MENTAL HEALTH OF NEW MOTHERS IN THE SPOTLIGHT. CLANCY ADMITTED KILLING HER 3 YOUNG CHILDREN, BUT HER LAWYER SAYS SHE WAS SUFFERING FROM POSTPARTUM PSYCHOSIS. A MISTRIAL WAS DECLARED ON FRIDAY LEAVING THE FATE OF CLANCY IN LEGAL LIMBO. SHE IS STILL CHARGED, HOWEVER, WITH THE MURDERS OF HER CHILDREN, ACCORDING TO THE NONPROFIT POSTPARTUM SUPPORT INTERNATIONAL, ROUGHLY 0.2% OF NEW MOTHERS WILL BE DIAGNOSED WITH POSTPARTUM PSYCHOSIS, BUT IT SHOULD BE TREATED LIKE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY AND REQUIRES IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. >> JOINING ME NOW WITH MORE ON POST PARTUM, DEPRESSION. >> KATHLEEN NEALON, SHE'S A MASTER'S LEVEL, LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER WITH THE DAVID LAWRENCE CENTER FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH IN NAPLES AND BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I WANT TO NOTE THAT THE DAVID LAWRENCE CENTERS, THEY ARE AN UNDERWRITER OF WTC. YOU AND KATHLEEN, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US IN STUDIO TODAY. THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH ATTENTION TO THE LINDSAY CLANCY TRAGEDY, THE MISTRIAL AND SO MUCH ATTENTION PAID AND IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA, WE ARE NOT IMMUNE TO MOTHERS. EXPERIENCE SEEING SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION. AND EVEN PSYCHOSIS. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW COMMON THIS CANDY? >> ACCORDING TO THE CDC, ABOUT ONE OUT OF EVERY 8 WOMEN REPORT HAVING AT LEAST SOME SYMPTOMS OF POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION. SO HAVING AT LEAST SOME SYMPTOMS OF THAT IS QUITE COMMON. ONE ON DEBATES KIND OF A LOT. THE PSYCHOSIS, POSTPARTUM PSYCHOSIS IS MUCH MORE RARE. ACCORDING TO NIH, IS PROBABLY WILL ONE TO 2. INSTANCES OF THAT OUT OF EVERY 1000 WOMEN WHO GIVE BIRTH TO THE PSYCHOSIS PUSH FROM PSYCHOSIS IS QUITE RARE. BUT DEPRESSION ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION IS FAIRLY COMMON AND IT MAY EVEN BE UNDERREPORTED FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS. AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE KEY SIGNS OR SYMPTOMS? >> THAT LOVED ONE SHOULD BE AWARE WHEN THEY ARE HOME WITH A NEW MOTHER AND THEY MIGHT SEE THAT SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT. >> IF SOMEBODY IS FEELING IN EXCEPTIONALLY TIRED EVEN AFTER THEY GET REST BECAUSE IT'S VERY COMMON TO BE. TIRED AFTER HAVING A BABY OR IF THE BABY IS NOT SLEEPING. WELL, TIM IS VERY TIRED. LOW ENERGY. IF SOMEBODY LACK OF OF THE VERY TYPICAL SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION, APPLIED A POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION. IF THE ME CERTAINLY HAVING LIKE A LOT OF NEGATIVE THOUGHTS THAT COULD BE A SYMPTOM IF SOMEONE'S HAVING THOUGHTS OF WANTING TO DIE OR SUICIDAL THOUGHTS THAN IT DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE TAKEN VERY SERIOUSLY. THAT'S WHY I MENTIONED SIGNS LOVED ONES LIKE THE THE HUSBANDS WERE THE FATHERS OR A PARTNER. >> THEY NEED TO BE AWARE BECAUSE THE MOTHER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO LABEL WHICH HE'S GOING THROUGH, IF YOU USE A NEW MOM HIM, I JUST THINK IT'S NORMAL. >> YEAH. SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO BE CHECKING IN WITH ANY NEW MOTHER THAT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY CHECKING AT. HOW ARE YOU DOING? OFFERING SUPPORT HAVING SOME SOCIAL SUPPORT, PEOPLE CHECKING IN WITH THEM. HAVING SOMEBODY YOU COME OVER AND WATCH THE BABY FOR A LITTLE WHILE. SO THE NEW MOM CAN GET SOME SLEEP. ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE PROTECTIVE FACTORS THAT CAN AT LEAST FOR MANY WOMEN HELP DECREASE THE CHANCES OF IT GETTING TO THE POINT OF HAVING POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION. NOW, EVEN WITH ALL OF THAT, SOME PEOPLE BECAUSE OF FLUCTUATIONS IN HORMONES ARE FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS. EVEN WITH THE GREAT SUPPORT SYSTEM, SOME PEOPLE MAY STILL GET POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION. IT CAN HAPPEN TO ANY NEW MOTHER. THERE ARE RISK FACTORS THAT PUT PEOPLE AT GREATER RISK OF IT. WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE RISK FACTORS, LACK OF SOCIAL SUPPORT? IT BEING ISOLATED? SOMETIMES A SENSE OF INADEQUACY. I THINK IT CAN BE. IT'S SUCH A MAJOR LIFE CHANGE FOR MANY WOMEN, ESPECIALLY WITH THEIR FIRST BABY THROUGH IF THEY WERE GOING TO WORK REGULARLY, THEY STOP WORKING NOW THEIR HOME WITH THE BABY MAY BE THEIR HOME HOURS A DAY BY THEMSELVES WITH THIS NEW BABY. SO THEY'RE ISOLATED. PEOPLE ARE GETTING MAYBE MORE ATTENTION TO THE BABY AND NOT. AWARE OF THE MOTHERS MEANS SO MUCH IF THERE IS A FAMILY HISTORY OF DEPRESSION OR OTHER MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS. SOMETIMES THAT IS ALSO A RISK FACTOR. SOMEONE HAS PREVIOUS EPISODES OF DEPRESSION PRIOR TO PREGNANCY. THEY'RE PROBABLY AT INCREASED RISK AS WELL OF HAVING POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION. >> AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BARRIERS TO MOTHERS GETTING THE HELP THAT THEY NEED? >> I THINK SOMETIMES MOTHERS ARE. AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP, WHICH IS TO HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING DEPRESSION. SOMETIMES THEY MAY BE JUDGING IF I CAN'T, IF I NEED HELP, I'M NOT ADEQUATE OR I'M NOT A GOOD MOTHER OR NOT BEING SURE WHERE TO GO FOR HELP OR JUST ADMITTING THAT. YES, THIS IS A DEPRESSION OR THEY MIGHT HAS JUST GETTING USED TO THIS OR THEY MAY MINIMIZE THEIR OWN SYMPTOMS AND NOT RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS A MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION. IT'S NOT MY FAULT AND I CAN GET SOME HELP FOR IT. I DON'T HAVE TO SUFFER IN SILENCE WITH ALL OF THESE SYMPTOMS CAN GET BETTER. IT'S TO PREP. THE LACK OF AWARENESS IS ONE BIG BEAR AND YOUR ORGANIZATION ACTUALLY HAVE. >> AS A CRISIS UNIT THAT I KNEW EVEN RECENTLY IT WENT OUT TO HELP OTHER IN OUR COMMUNITY WITH SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF THIS. WHY IS THIS A MOBILE CRISIS UNIT RESPONSE? SO IMPORTANT? >> BECAUSE THAT CAN BRING SERVICES TO SOMEONE WHO MAY BE RELUCTANT TO GO TO. DAVID LAWRENCE CENTERS FOR AN ASSESSMENT OR IF THERE'S A SITUATION THAT'S KIND OF QUITE, A CUTE E. THE SERVICES CAN GO. THE MOBILE CRISIS TEAM CAN GO TO THEM AND KIND OF DO AN ASSESSMENT AND HELP FIGURE OUT WHAT DOES NEED TO HAPPEN HERE. DOES THE PERSON NEED TO GO TO THE CRISIS UNIT WHERE THEY CAN STAY FOR A FEW DAYS TO BE CRISIS. STABILIZATION UNIT. DO THEY NEED TO AN ASSESSMENT THE CLINICAL ASSESSMENT SCHEDULED WHERE THEY CAN START THERAPY AND MAYBE TALK TO A PSYCHIATRIST OR PSYCHIATRIC NURSE PRACTITIONER TO HELP DETERMINE IF MEDICATION, MAYBE AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR THE SYMPTOMS THAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY IN STUDIO. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. AND FOR YOU FROM TALKING ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT TOPIC. THANK YOU, PATTY INLAND, THANKS.