Two important questions
Your GP should be able to diagnose postnatal depression (PND) by asking you two questions:
- During the past month, have you often been bothered by feeling down, depressed or hopeless?
- During the past month, have you often been bothered by taking little or no pleasure in doing things that normally make you happy?
If the answer to both of these questions is yes, then it is likely you have PND.
Depending on your answers to the above questions, you may also be asked whether this is something you feel you need or want help with.
Some mothers, especially those who do not have a partner or relative to help with the care of their baby, can be reluctant to provide honest answers to these questions. This is because some worry that a diagnosis of PND will mean that they are seen as a bad mother and that there is a chance their baby will be taken into care.
It should be stressed that a baby will only be taken into care in the most exceptional of circumstances. One of the prime goals of treatment of PND is to help you care for and bond with your baby. Even if the symptoms of your PND are so severe that you require treatment at a mental health clinic, specialist mother and baby clinics are available.
Other tests
Sometimes, your GP may do a blood test to make sure there is not a physical reason for symptoms like tiredness and low mood, such as an underactive thyroid gland or anaemia. These conditions often occur after having a baby.
Diagnosing the severity of PND
If your GP suspects that you have PND, they will want to know about your associated symptoms so they can assess the severity of your PND and decide on the best course of treatment.
They will want to know if you have:
- disturbed sleep
- had problems concentrating or making decisions
- low self-confidence
- a loss of appetite or an increased appetite (comfort eating is often a symptom of depression)
- been feeling anxious
- been feeling tired, listless and reluctant to undertake any physical activity
- been feeling guilty or self-critical
- been experiencing suicidal thoughts
If you have three of the above symptoms, it is likely you have mild depression. People with mild depression are generally able to carry out normal activities.
If you have five or six of the above symptoms, it is likely you have moderate depression. People with moderate depression will have great difficulty carrying out normal activities.
If you have all of the above symptoms, it is likely you have severe depression. People with severe depression are unable to function at all, and need help from a dedicated mental health team.
