Pregnancy does not protect a woman from Mental Illness, but Pregnancy and children up to two years of age are considered Protective Factors for Suicide and Self-harm.
Everything that happens during pregnancy has an influence and impacts up to a year postpartum. Unfortunately, in prenatal consultations, the patient's mental health is not investigated. It would be a very fruitful opportunity.
The most common mental disorder in pregnancy is Depression, and only one in five depressed pregnant women seeks help of any kind, likely due to the stigma associated with Depression.
Risk Factors for Maternal Suicide are considered to be a previous history of psychiatric illness, previous suicidal ideation and socioeconomic factors, such as: lack of family support, absence of a partner, financial difficulties, unplanned pregnancy, especially among young people, history of domestic violence. and use of alcohol and drugs.
Even when the suicide is not consummated, the consequences are devastating for the mother and baby, and may even lose custody of the child.
As a Prevention Measure, it is important to track depression, especially in the first trimester and from 6 to 12 weeks of puerperium, the postpartum period. The important thing is not to be afraid to treat, currently some studies show that it is better not to interrupt the medication, nor to proceed with dose reduction, under the risk of double exposure of the baby, to the disease and to the medication.
Only the mental health professional can assess the Risks of Treatment X Risks of Non-Treatment in Prepartum and Postpartum, but studies tend to conclude that maintaining treatment is always beneficial.
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Maternal Pathological Depression and Anxiety, when untreated, cause risks, such as: lack of mother-baby bond, obstetric complications and fetal stress, puerperal depression, risk of suicide and self-harm, in addition to delay in emotional, cognitive and language development. .
And when it comes to the Psyche, the non-judgment, the authorization of feelings, the support and involvement of the partner and the family, and the permission of the pregnant woman to recognize that she may not be feeling love for this child, and that Maternal Love is Built and is not inherent, as well as releasing beliefs about Breastfeeding and Pregnancy can help a lot.
Psychotherapy is also very indicated, because talking about your feelings is something that frees you. For those who cannot undergo psychotherapeutic treatment, there is the CVV that does beautiful volunteer work.
Let's put aside all these beliefs and prejudices and seek help, always. It's certainly the best for everyone involved. It's not for all women that motherhood is sublime! Not for everyone it's the best phase of life! The woman does not have to be happy to be pregnant, and it is not the mother's fault if the child is born with a health problem. Let's talk about it!
Healthy Mother = Healthy Baby.
Sick Mother = Sick Baby.
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Suicide Prevention | Adolescent Suicide | Impulsivity and Suicide | Suicide Posvention | Chemical Dependency and Suicide | Suicide and the Elderly | CVV - Life Appreciation Center
