What Is the Differentiate Between “Postpartum Depression” & “Postpartum Psychosis”?

Question by Leather: What is the differentiate between “postpartum depression” & “postpartum psychosis”?
Plus, the “baby blues?” Which of the three might be used as a criminal defense?

This is our group project in my class!

Best answer:

Answer by Ashley
Um, baby blues and postpartum depression are one and the same. They usually tend to not want anything to do with their kid after it’s born. I would think the latter is more liable to act in an irrational manner and hurt a child. The reason being is in psychosis they tend to get delusions and hallucinations, including auditory hallucinations which could tell them to kill.

I would think either could be criminal defense, assuming the person had a history of psych illness to back it up. Mainly bipolar or schizophrenia patients.

Answer by Connie
All three occur shortly after a woman gives birth to a baby, and are thought to be connected to the hormonal changes of pregnancy and birth. The “baby blues” occur most commonly and usually refer to mild feelings of sadness, some crying, lack of energy and fatigue that occur; this condition does not appreciably affect the woman’s ability to care for her child(ren), but is uncomfortable because of the social expectation of happiness after giving birth. Postpartum depression is usually a more serious condition, with more weeping, feelings of sadness and emptiness, lack of enjoyment, and feelings of being unable to cope. The woman may withdraw from family and friends, spend a lot of time sleeping and have difficulty in caring for the child, relying on others to do this for her. Medication may be necessary if the depression becomes incapacitating; suicidal feelings are common in postpartum depression. In postpartum psychosis, the woman may not show symptoms of depression, but shows other signs of mental illness and loss of contact with reality; she may ignore the baby, hear voices directing her to kill the baby and/or other children, may be overactive but not tend to the baby. Again, medication and possibly hospitalization may be necessary. Postpartum psychosis has been used as a criminal defense, and I would think postpartum depression has also. You should know that insanity defenses are not very successful in the US court system.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

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