The Women's Emotional Health Service (WEHS), National University Hospital is a multidisciplinary service catering for the emotional needs of women during and after pregnancy.
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Living Well Today & Everyday
Q. What are the symptoms of Perinatal Depression?
Often the onset is gradual and symptoms may include:
- Sadness or frequent tearfulness
- Fatigue
- Feelings of inadequacy, self doubt or guilt
- Sleep disturbance
- Irritability or angry outbursts
- Excessive worries about the baby
- Difficulty concentrating, making decisions or remembering things
- Loss of interest in the baby, family or activities
- Anxiety
- Feeling overwhelmed or disorganised
A small minority of depressed mothers may also experience thoughts of harming themself or their baby.
Between 15 and 20 percent of all women experience some form of pregnancy related depression.
Q. Why is it important to seek help?
It is important to recognise and diagnose Perinatal Depression. Untreated depression can have negative effects for the mother, her baby and family. Depression has been to shown to have a negative effect on the attachment and bonding process between mother and baby. The earlier treatment is initiated, the better the prognosis. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Screening (EPDS) tool is a self-rated questionnaire administered during pregnancy and after delivery to all pregnant women delivering at NUH to screen for depressive symptoms.
Questions answered by:
Dr Cornelia Chee
Consultant
Women's Emotional Health Service
Dept of Psychological Medicine
National University Hospital
A woman who is worried that she is experiencing symptoms of depression during or after her pregnancy is invited to seek help from The Women’s Emotional Health Service at NUH.
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