Does postpartum depression require medication?

Written by Du Rui Xia

Obstetrics

Updated on December 07, 2024

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When suffering from postpartum depression, it can be treated with medication. This treatment method can help control negative emotions in new mothers. It can also alleviate some physical discomfort, reducing the damage caused by depression during treatment. However, breastfeeding should be suspended if medication is being taken. In addition to medication, psychological treatment is also necessary. Adjusting one's mental state is very important, as most cases of postpartum depression are caused by an unhealthy psychological foundation. (The use of medication should be conducted under the guidance of a professional doctor.)

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Written by Pang Ji Cheng

Psychiatry and Psychology

54sec

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Can someone with mild depression go to work?

Patients with mild depression can go to work. Those with mild depression may exhibit lighter symptoms such as mood decline, fatigue, and decreased interest. Often, patients may have difficulty sleeping; however, their social functions or most other functions are generally unaffected, with only minor impacts on their work and social activities. If patients are functionally capable of handling their jobs, depressive symptoms can be improved through behavioral training. Therefore, in clinical practice, patients with mild depression are encouraged to continue working, which further activates their energy and motivation, enhancing their positivity and initiative, and improving treatment outcomes. Additionally, psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy can also achieve good therapeutic effects for patients with mild depression. Systematic and standard treatments should be continued to ultimately reach clinical recovery.

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Written by Du Rui Xia

Obstetrics

51sec

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What is postpartum depression?

Postpartum depression is a psychological disorder affecting emotions, psychology, and the body, caused by a decline in physical constitution and poor mental state due to societal perspectives and excessive stress after childbirth. Mothers may experience anxiety, sadness, emotional indifference, weakness, a tendency to cry easily, and a loss of confidence and interest in life. These symptoms generally persist throughout the entire postpartum period. Mild cases of postpartum depression can be alleviated through daily life adjustments. More severe cases, however, require treatment at a formal medical institution, and it is crucial for family members to pay attention to psychological communication with the patient.

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Written by Pang Ji Cheng

Psychiatry and Psychology

54sec

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How to diagnose mild depression?

For the clinical examination of mild depression, it is first necessary to thoroughly understand the patient’s onset, development, evolution, and treatment of depression. Furthermore, detailed communication must be conducted with the patient concerning consciousness, sensations, perceptions, thinking, attention, emotional willpower, self-control, and other aspects. It is important to comprehend the patient's overall mental and psychological condition, then combine this with the results of corresponding scales or exclude other conditions through diagnostic auxiliary examinations to make a comprehensive judgment. Particularly, the content of the psychiatric examination for the patient is an important aspect in determining mild depression. By integrating the aforementioned information, it is often possible to clearly diagnose the symptoms of mild depression, which is very meaningful for the subsequent treatment.

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Written by Pang Ji Cheng

Psychiatry and Psychology

1min 6sec

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What medication is used for depression?

The medications commonly used for depression in clinical settings are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, primarily used to increase serotonin levels in the patient's brain to improve depressive symptoms. Representative drugs in clinical use include paroxetine, sertraline, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, citalopram, and escitalopram. There are also medications that inhibit the reuptake of both serotonin and norepinephrine, such as venlafaxine and duloxetine. Additionally, there's a type of antidepressant that acts on norepinephrine and is specifically serotonergic, with mirtazapine being the main drug. These medications are considered modern antidepressants and have a relatively significant clinical efficacy. Of course, there are also traditional tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants, which are not recommended as first-line treatments in clinical settings due to their more adverse reactions. (Please follow a doctor's guidance regarding the use of specific medications.)

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Written by Pang Ji Cheng

Psychiatry and Psychology

56sec

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Symptoms of depression

Patients with symptoms of depression often experience a persistent low mood throughout most of the day, along with a loss or decrease in interests and pleasure. They commonly experience fatigue, an increase in feelings of exhaustion, and more. Additionally, these patients may have poor concentration, low self-esteem, decreased self-confidence, a sense of worthlessness, self-blame, and a bleak outlook on life with no perceived future, including suicidal thoughts. There are also significant changes in their sleeping and eating habits. Therefore, if these symptoms persist for more than two weeks and adversely impact the patient’s work, studies, lifestyle, or social abilities, it should be considered indicative of depression. Thus, once diagnosed, systematic and standardized treatment should be administered to prevent the worsening of the condition.