Perinatal and Postpartum Anxiety: A Detailed Study

Postpartum depression is feared not only by women in their first pregnancy but also by “veteran” mothers who are into a new pregnancy. Yet, depression is often diagnosed in women who are still pregnant (perinatal depression). A large number of psychologists, neuroscientists, neurochemists, and psychiatrists view clinical anxiety and depression as similar disorders with quite similar symptomatology and biological etiology, whereas another group of professionals suggest that anxiety is quite often a prodromal stage of depression. Thus, it is not surprising that many perinatal or postnatal pregnancies are affected by maternal clinical anxiety and/or depression.