Dubai: Baby blues, or depression after birth, affects expatriate new mothers more due to lack of family support and many do not seek help, psychologists warn.
The enormous biological changes a new mother undergoes during birth is compounded by other risk factors for depression if the woman has a baby in another country, where there is no support, or if the birth was difficult, said Dr Yousuf Abouallaban, consultant psychiatrist at the American Centre for Psychiatry and Neurology, Abu Dhabi.
He was speaking to Gulf News on the sidelines of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Conference and Exhibition that started yesterday at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. It is the largest gathering of women’s health professionals in the Middle East region.
He said postpartum depression can turn acute if the husband is abusive or not supportive and “does not understand how she could be unhappy during such a joyous occasion”. The other risk factor is if the woman has too many children, he said.
The psychologist estimated that 10,000 women suffer yearly from postpartum depression and that only a very small number seek professional help. “When a woman is not treated early, she could suffer relationships problems with the spouse, with the children, her job. It is the woman that usually pays the price,” he said.
“Doctors should be more aware of this and pay attention to any signs of depression in the mother and advise her to seek help,” he said.
Mental health professionals said that treatment for depression is, unfortunately, not covered under most health insurance packages. “Many people also do not seek help because of social stigma,” said a doctor.
Dr Sahju George, specialist psychologist at International Modern Hospital in Dubai, said most ‘baby blues’ cases can sometimes develop into postpartum psychosis where the mothers starts to hear voices and that could be dangerous for the child.
He said the mother could turn suicidal or try to kill the child. “Family support is very important at this time,” he said.
The psychologist said that besides genetics, postpartum depression is due to the added stress of becoming a mother with new responsibilities. He said there are new drugs for depression that are not harmful to the baby.
Gulf News had earlier reported a case of a mother who is serving a 15-year jail sentence for killing her daughter and attempting to kill her 22-month-old baby girl.
Dr Abouallaban said the pros and cons of treatment with medication versus risk of lack of treatment must be weighed. “Urgent care is extremely essential as soon as the patient experiences primary symptoms,“ he said.
