«Postpartum depression remains a taboo subject and many women do not even ask for help»

Postpartum depression has tripled with the pandemic, but only 25% of women receive adequate care during pregnancy, Asapme warns on the occasion of Maternal Mental Health Day.

No one is free from suffering from mental illness at any stage of life. Moments such as pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period – also the upbringing of the first years – are complex for women on an emotional and physical level, and can even become the trigger that fuels present or previous pathologies. This is indicated by psychologist Beatriz Jurado, from the Aragonese Association for Mental Health, who nevertheless clarifies that there is no "specific profile" associated with this disorder that causes so much "stigma" in the environment of those who suffer from it.

"Postpartum depression continues to be a taboo subject and many women do not even ask for help. In fact, it is only detected in 25% of mental health cases that are diagnosed, and very few receive psychological care because it is not talked about." enough about this topic," says this psychologist.

According to recent data from a study by the University of Alberta in Canada, depression in pregnancy and postpartum has tripled during the pandemic, going from an incidence of 15% before covid-19 to 41% in June 2020, when The results of this study were presented. "We believe that this situation of social isolation, all this uncertainty and the fear that accompanies the economic and work future are increasing the levels of anxiety and tension among an important part of the population. All of this, accompanied by the changes that the pandemic in pregnancy care protocols, where mothers are finding themselves much more alone, because their partners cannot participate in the processes... it leaves them in a situation of greater vulnerability, and not having this support is having a negative impact. negative way to mothers," warns this psychologist.

Coinciding with the International Maternal Mental Health Day, which is celebrated this first Wednesday in May, the Aragonese Association for Mental Health (Asapme) wants to raise awareness in society about the need to receive psychological care during pregnancy and in the postpartum . "Postpartum depression not only causes suffering in mothers, but it can directly affect the baby, the bond between them and other areas of life. Its causes can be very varied, but the most important thing is that, if not treated, the consequences can last for years," they warn from Aspame.

In first person

"If someone had told me about this, I would have been more prepared. I would like it to be seen as something that happens, and that if they can accompany you, it will happen sooner"

Mirella Ainaga from Zaragoza, who received psychological care in this Aragonese association a few months after having her first child, in 2018, wants with her experience to take pressure off other women who are going through the same thing, and encourage them to seek help if they feel They see how it happened in their case "blocked" in the first months of parenting. In her case, when studying Early Childhood Education, she says that she had always wanted to be a mother, but when she fulfilled her wish, the feelings she had when she arrived home with her baby were different. "It started to happen to me especially when breastfeeding. I had very idealized it and I thought it was going to be super nice. When I started I didn't like it at all and on top of that in my case it was hard. When I arrived at Asapme, I talked about all of this with Lola (my psychologist) helped me normalize it. The fact that she gave me guidelines, that she told me that it was okay to give him the bottle or that I had an hour a week for myself encouraged me to continue. It also helped me a lot to go out. home to walk in the morning and afternoon," says this mother, who talks about the social pressure that surrounds the whole issue of motherhood and breastfeeding.

They have put so many ideas in your head, and the whirlwind of information we have is such that if the same thing doesn't happen to you as other women, you feel like the worst person in the world. At the time of pregnancy you feel very accompanied, but once you give birth, the mother forgets," laments this Infant teacher, who would like to see psychological care for children also implemented in the national health system. the newly born ones.

"It would be good if midwives provided more support to the mother in hospitals. That it wasn't just body care. I recovered from the kilos or the stitches immediately, but what cost me the most was that hormonal change that makes you sad, tired or not in the mood to see anyone, because in those conditions you don't want to see people either," he adds.

In addition to the psychological support she found in the association, Ainaga recognizes that both her partner and the family support she received in those first months from her mother were "fundamental" to overcoming that bump she had when giving birth to her little one at 34. years. "At first I acted strong, but a week later my mother had to come home not to do household chores for me, which my partner did, but to support me and be with me. She told me: 'Come on, get up.' 'Do this with the child.' At first I was looking at him and I didn't know what to do. When he fell asleep, my mother who was there told me: 'take the opportunity now to take a shower' and I needed to have her nearby so she could tell me what to do because she was there. blocked," he recalls.