The first few weeks following childbirth are the riskiest time for postpartum depression, says a new Danish study. This time is especially risky for new mothers who are seven times more likely than women with other children to be hospitalized for depression within the first ten to nineteen days following birth.
Overall, one in 1000 women in the study, which examined data from 2.3 million participants over 32 years, experienced severe mental problems including anxiety disorders, schizophrenia and bipolar depression within a three months of childbirth. This is in contrast to just .37 of 1000 fathers who, researchers note, do not undergo the same physical or social changes as mothers.
Read more: Study: Moms at Risk for Mental Problems
ABSTRACT: New Parents and Mental Disorders