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Health

Psychologist calls for more attention to postpartum depression

Psychologist calls for more attention to postpartum depression
By Bushrah Yusuf-Badmus
Depression
Ilorin, Jan. 23, 2019 (NAN) Mrs Shola Jaiyeola, a psychologist at the College of Education, Ilemona, Kwara, has advised Nigerians to pay more attention to newly born mothers to guard against postpartum depression.
Jaiyeola told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Ilorin that postpartum depression is being experienced by most newly born mothers.
She said a total attention of family and relatives should not be on the new born baby alone, but shared on the mother too.
She said most postpartum mothers go through a lot of situations after childbirth coupled with the stress of caring for the newborn that could make them become depressed unknowing to them.
“Most mothers going through post natal depression do not even know what is wrong with them; they will just notice that something is not right about them.
“So, if such person do not have people that can give helping hand around them or anyone that can even notice changes, they might do the unimaginable.
“At times, most mothers go as far as hurting the baby.
“Therefore, if they are not left alone to themselves, they can easily get helped.
“This is because most of the postpartum mothers might not know that something is wrong with them except by another person,’’ Jaiyeola said.
She however urged husbands to always lend supportive hands to their wives when they give birth newly.
The psychologist advised that friends and families that take care of new mothers and their babies should watch out for possible symptoms likely to be exhibited by the mothers.
“Post natal depression is the type of depression that occurs after childbirth and it is very common but people pay less attention to it or call it something else.
“It requires a medical diagnosis and treatable by a medical professional because those who develop post natal depression are at greater risk of developing major depression later on in life.
“Post natal depression symptoms might include insomnia, intense irritability, extreme sadness, low energy, anxiety, crying episodes, irritability, and changes in sleeping or eating patterns and difficulty bonding with the baby.
“Normally, it last three months if treated immediately, but if untreated, the condition may last months or longer.
“Treatment can include counselling, antidepressants or hormone therapy,’’ Jaiyeola said.
She said the condition must not be handled with levity as it could also affect the baby negatively. (NAN)
BAY/OYE/MST
Edited by Celine-Damilola Oyewole/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

NGO seeks partnership with FG on treatment of postpartum depression

NGO seeks partnership with FG on treatment of postpartum depression
NAN-HG-4
Partnership
By Yashim Katurak
Abuja, Feb. 6, 2018 (NAN) Dr Onyedikachi Ekwerike, President, Postpartum Support Network (PSN) Africa, has called for partnership with the Federal Government in providing adequate sensitisation and treatment of women with postpartum depression.
Ekwerike made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said that the organisation would mostly target rural communities in its sensitisation and awareness campaign.
Ekwerike said that the organisation has over the years grappled with lack of resources and unavailability of manpower to carry out its sensitisation across the country on postpartum depression.
He said that this also prevented it from providing the necessary adequate support in treatment of the condition to women across board.
Ekwerike said partnering with the federal and state governments, individuals and stakeholders would enable the organisation run an extensive programme dedicated to postpartum depression across the country.
“This will enable us also tackle issues relating to this condition, give women the medical training and support they require to manage the condition and possibly prevent it from even occurring.
“Women who suffer from postpartum depression do not have a good relationship with their infants as the mother and child face difficulty in bonding with each other.
“This will affect the overall development of the child and the woman is more likely to have a child that is living with a wide range of behavioural issues.
“We also need more psychologists and psychiatrists in government owned hospitals and even in primary healthcare centres where these women go to for ante-natal and post natal care.
“We do not have any collaboration for now with the federal government but we hope we can develop this partnership soon.
“Mental health awareness and treatment is not something that is taken seriously in this country more so maternal mental health, but we need to start from somewhere in addressing the condition.
“This is because the condition affects women greatly by putting them at risk of death by suicide.
“We also hope to develop a partnership with the Lagos state Government, specifically its Ministry of Health.
“Even though the state government has been very supportive by opening up the government owned hospitals in the state for us to provide this support to women we hope for more collaborations,” Ekwerike said.
He said that with the cooperation of the Lagos state government, the organisation has trained and provided support to women in 10 hospitals in the state in 2017.
Ekwerike said that the organisation hoped to reach out to 10 rural communities in the state and also train nurses on how to be emotionally intelligent this year.
According to him, “we have observed that sometimes the nurses themselves contribute to the problems these women already face.
“So we will train 100 nurses across the state and the training will be tagged ‘nursing with emotional intelligence’.
“We hope to extend our training programme on postpartum depression to other states like Portharcourt and the FCT,” Ekwerike said.
NAN reports that the organisation from Sept. 7, 2017, to Jan. 5, 2018, held training for 150 nurses and 20 medical doctors on how to identify and provide support to women suffering from postpartum depression in Lagos.
The training was part of its effort at tackling the rising cases of postpartum depression in the state.
Postpartum depression is a serious mental illness that affects one in seven women after childbirth. It is a treatable medical condition.
Women who experience the condition experienced one or more of the following: mood swings, anxiety, sadness, irritability, feeling overwhelmed, crying and reduced concentration.
Others include appetite problems, insomnia and difficulty bonding with the newly born baby. (NAN)
KRY/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Group trains 150 nurses, 20 doctors on postpartum depression

Group trains 150 nurses, 20 doctors on postpartum depression
NAN-HG-2
Depression
By Yashim Katurak
Abuja, Jan. 26, 2018 (NAN) Postpartum Support Network (PSN) Africa, an NGO, says it has trained 150 nurses and 20 medical doctors on ways to identify and provide support to women suffering from postpartum depression.
Dr Onyedikachi Ekwerike, President of the organisation, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday.
He said the network provided the training as part of its effort at tackling the rising cases of postpartum depression in the country.
Ekwerike, who is also a Clinical Psychologist and Mandela Washington Fellow, described the condition as a mental illness mainly affecting the nursing mothers, saying the medical condition is grossly misunderstood by many health workers.
He said that women who had the condition experienced one or more of the following signs and symptoms: mood swings, anxiety, sadness, irritability, feeling overwhelmed, crying and reduced concentration.
Others include appetite problems, insomnia and difficulty bonding with the newly born baby.
According to him, postpartum depression is a treatable medical condition affecting one in seven women, but added it is imperative that awareness about the condition be more widespread across Africa considering the rising number of the victims.
Ekwerike noted that through education, screening and support, PSN Africa is changing the narrative about postpartum depression and is helping mothers receive the help and treatment needed to feel better.
“Postpartum depression, a serious mental illness that can affect women after childbirth, is a condition that is highly overlooked and misunderstood.
“With the prevalence of postpartum depression in Nigeria, and indeed Africa at large, one organisation has been leading the way in raising awareness about the condition.
“Recently, PSN Africa concluded an innovative and highly successful campaign tagged `Feel Something, Say Something 2.0’, having secured a grant from Aspire Coronation Trust (ACT) Foundation.
“The grant was given to the organisation to educate and screen 2,000 women for postpartum depression across 10 hospitals in Lagos state, Nigeria.
“The hospitals we visited included Randle General Hospital and Ifako General Hospital.
“Others were Orile Agege General Hospital, Island Maternity Hospital, Ikorodu General Hospital, Amuwo Odofin Mother and Child Health Center, Harvey road Health Centre, Mushin General Hospital, Ajeromi General Hospital, and Gbagada General Hospital,” he said.
Ekwerike urged women to always speak up if they feel the signs and symptoms of the medical condition after their child delivery.
He explained that speaking up by a woman suffering the medical challenge would attract immediate help, besides giving other women in similar conditions immense social support.
“Postpartum depression can strike any woman; in fact, recently, two well-known Nigerian celebrities publicly shared their experiences with postpartum depression.
“A writer, Ese Walter-Ark, recently shared a personal account of her difficult struggle with postpartum depression in an open post on her Facebook page where she described her endless quest for happiness which she could not find after her baby was born.
“She explained that as the depression escalated, she felt she had no choice but to leave her child with her family and flee.
“The experiences are not uncommon among women suffering from postpartum depression.
“PSN Africa strives to continue doing the vital work of raising awareness about this condition in order for more women to realise they are not alone and that with proper support they can feel better,’’ Ekwerike said.
NAN reports that the organisation was founded in 2015 and it is said to be committed to raising awareness about postpartum depression in Nigeria in particular and indeed Africa. (NAN)
KRY/OSA/MST
Edited by Shittu Obassa/Muhammad Suleiman Tola