Beta Fulltext view is in preview — article structure may vary. Browse all articles
Contents
Open Access Journal of Gynecology Research Article 20 min read

Postpartum Maternal Mental Health - A Narrative Review

Vaijayanthi Vaidyanathan*
* Corresponding author
ISSN: 2474-9230  10.23880/oajg-16000305  Received: March 28, 2026  Published: April 20, 2026
 — views
 58 references
PDF
Keywords
Postpartum Mental Health Social Support Psychotherapeutic Intervention
Abstract

Postpartum mental health conditions are increasingly prevalent due to shifts in family structures, evolving roles of women in the workforce, heightened demands of motherhood, and various socio-cultural factors. This review aims to examine and synthesize existing literature on postpartum mental health conditions, including their prevalence, contributing factors, and psychosocial interventions that support women in coping effectively. The findings indicate that social support, particularly from partners and family members, is a key protective factor against maternal mental health conditions, while pre-existing mental disorders represent a significant risk factor. Additionally, factors related to childbirth, as well as the quality of psychosocial support and care provided during the early postpartum period, play a crucial role in influencing maternal mental health outcomes. Given the long-term impact of these conditions on both mothers and infants, the findings underscore the importance of increasing awareness, implementing early screening measures, and ensuring access to effective and timely psychotherapeutic interventions for women globally.

Introduction

Childbirth represents a critical milestone in a woman’s life, accompanied by substantial transitions in both physical and psychological health. The postpartum period is often characterized by heightened anxiety related to infant care, concerns about maternal physical recovery, and the challenge of balancing self-care with the demands of a newborn. These multifaceted responsibilities can place considerable strain on new mothers. Existing literature further suggests that caregivers and healthcare providers often prioritize infant well-being over maternal health, which may result in insufficient attention to mothers’ postpartum needs [1]. In addition, several common postpartum physical conditions, such as pain from vaginal tears or cesarean section, haemorrhoids and breast engorgement, can adversely affect mothers’ ability to cope with psychological stress.

Breastfeeding-related challenges are also prevalent and may expose mothers to social judgement, potentially leading to feelings of inadequacy, guilt, or failure [2].

Furthermore, limited access to reliable information on childcare, evolving family dynamics, and inadequate social support can exacerbate mental health difficulties during this period.

Research has indicated that postpartum care in hospital, follow-up and support after hospital discharge could greatly impact mother’s physical and mental well-being [3]. However, seeking appropriate support remains difficult, as there is a frequent mismatch between the assistance mothers desire and the postpartum healthcare services available to them [4]. This discrepancy is particularly evident in the domain of psychosocial support.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported that about 13% of new mothers in developed country and 19.8% of new mothers in developing country, experience mental disorder, primarily depression. Postpartum depression (PPD) is a severe and transient psychological condition that occurs within 1 year after childbirth [5]. It is characterized by persistent sadness, fatigue and difficulty in functioning. Unlike the postpartum blues, which is a temporary condition, PPD is more severe and persists comparatively longer. Postpartum blues affect up to 80% of mothers and is characterized by crying, insomnia, irritability, sadness and anxiety [6].

Postpartum fatigue is also a quite common condition affecting approximately 45-95% of mothers after childbirth, which is characterized by persistent lack of energy, reduced physical and mental capacity after childbirth, impaired concentration that is not easily alleviated by rest [7]. It can increase anxiety and negatively impact mother’s self-esteem that can also lead to PPD. Apart from these conditions, postpartum anxiety and postpartum post-traumatic stress that results from traumatic birth experiences are also becoming increasingly common among mothers, especially in preterm delivery and is also associated with complicated delivery. These conditions can have adverse impact on the infants, as maternal sensitivity has been highlighted to be related to the development of positive child characteristics such as their ability to regulate emotions, social responsibility and independence [8].

The aim of this review is to provide a descriptive synthesis of the postpartum mental health challenges, including their various forms and the factors influencing maternal mental health, through an analysis of existing research literature.

Method

This review analyzes research articles published from 2015 onwards, as these studies reflect the current scenario of maternal mental health. The selected articles focus on the struggles of new mothers, perinatal physical and mental health challenges, and the psychological and social factors influencing the mother–child relationship, as well as factors affecting postpartum mental health.

Relevant studies were retrieved from online databases such as Google Scholar, EBSCO, ScienceDirect, and Springer. The keywords used for the search included “new mothers,” “motherhood,” “postpartum challenges,” “postnatal mental health,” and “maternal mental health.” After a comprehensive review and removal of duplicates, articles that were credible in terms of methodology, results, and conclusions were selected.

Inclusion and Exclusion criteria

Studies focusing on challenges faced by mothers beyond the postpartum period were excluded; only those examining mothers within one year of delivery were included in this review. Additionally, studies involving mothers of children with special needs were excluded. Out of 180 studies identified, 38 were included for analysis.

Results and Discussion

Prevalence of Postpartum Mental Health Issues

Postpartum Depression: The prevalence of postpartum depression (PPD) shows considerable variation across regions, though it remains a significant global public health concern. Based on summarized findings, in Western countries, the prevalence of PPD varies between 10 and 15% [9] with slightly higher estimates in specific nations reported in Canada (18%) (Gheorghe et al., 2021), and the US (14 % to 22%), where a sharply increasing trend in the PPD symptoms was reported in all races and ethnicity in the country between 2010 to 2021 [10]. Similarly in Cuba, PPD prevalence has been reported at 16.4%, particularly within the first four weeks postpartum [11].

In European countries, the prevalence of postpartum depression (PPD) is generally reported to range from 13% to 19% (Yakupova & Suarez, 2021) [12], although considerable regional variation exists. For instance, substantially higher prevalence has been observed in Ukraine (39%) [13], whereas lower rates have been reported in Northern European countries such as Norway (9.8%) and Sweden (6.4% at six weeks postpartum to 10.3% at five days postpartum) [14, 15]. Notably, disparities have been identified within Norway, with higher prevalence among ethnic minority women (12.7%) compared to Western European women (4.8%) [14]. In contrast, Spain reports a moderate prevalence of 14.8% [16].

In Asian countries, PPD prevalence demonstrates greater variability, ranging from 5.1% to 78.7% [17]. For instance, prevalence in China is estimated at 11.5% [18], which was reported to be 30% during the COVID-19 pandemic [19]. Higher prevalence rates have been reported in South Asia, including India, where rates reach 31.4% among rural women [20] and approximately 22% among urban mothers [21]. Similar findings have been observed in Nepal, where nearly one-third of mothers experience PPD symptoms [22], and in Myanmar (31.8%) [23]. In Japan, prevalence varies by parity, ranging from 6% to 25% among first-time mothers and 6% to 9% among multiparous women [24]. In Iran, approximately 19% of women report PPD symptoms three months postpartum, although higher rates have also been documented [25, 26].

Evidence from African settings, such as Ethiopia, indicates that approximately one in four mothers experience PPD symptoms within six months postpartum, with similar findings reported within six weeks of delivery [27, 28] Similar prevalence was also reported in Uganda (27.1%) and Nigeria (22%) [29, 30].

Postpartum Anxiety (PPA): In addition to postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety is increasingly recognized as a significant mental health concern. In Canada, 12.6% of mothers reported persistent anxiety symptoms at eight weeks postpartum [31]. In India, mild postpartum anxiety appears highly prevalent during the first six months postpartum (88.17%), although generalized (10%) and severe anxiety (1.3%) were also reported among new mothers [32].

Postpartum PTS: Postpartum post-traumatic stress (PTS) has also been documented, particularly in relation to childbirth experiences. In the United States, childbirth-related PTSD has been reported in one in three mothers, especially following unplanned caesarean deliveries [33]. In the United Kingdom, approximately 10% of women experience PTSD symptoms within six months postpartum, with one fourth of the women reporting trauma due to childbirth while others reported due to current to past trauma [34].

Factors Affecting Postnatal Mental Health

Biological and Clinical Factors: Prenatal depression, chronic stress during pregnancy are reported in several studies as important risk factors of postpartum mental health issues like PPA and PPD [35]. Pre-existing mental health issues can worsen after childbirth because of sudden hormonal change and significant disruptions in daily routines due to childcare activities. Genetic and neuroendocrine factors such as estrogen and progesterone fluctuation are also considered as risk factors, even for women without pre-existing conditions [36]. Apart from neuroendocrine factors, drug use and other medical conditions are considered as risk factors. Medication like methyldopa, recreational drug use and hypertension are considered to be important factors that can induce PPD [6, 37]. Diseases like HIV also greatly impact the postpartum mental health of women [29].

Psychological Factors: Psychological factors play an equally important role in coping with postpartum stress. Ability to be aware of and regulate one’s emotions is usually related to better coping to stress and enhanced psychological well- being. This is also confirmed in the study by Marques R, et al. [38] which highlighted that emotional regulation and emotional intelligence serves as protective factors against PPD and PPA. Other factors like parenting self-efficacy and sense of belongingness also play a key role in enhancing the maternal mental health [39, 40]. On the other hand, negative attitude towards pregnancy, feeling of loneliness and neuroticism were reported to be risk factors for postpartum mental health issues [41, 42, 43].

Pregnancy and Birth Factors: Anxiety is common during pregnancy, as possibilities for clinical complications during delivery and subsequent health risks can be threatening. This becomes even more evident when women have previous history of stillbirth or adverse birth outcomes. Pregnancy factors like unplanned pregnancy, threatened loss of pregnancy, preterm labour, emergency caesarean section, having obstetrical complications, being primiparas are reportedly risk factors for PPD and posttraumatic stress symptoms [23, 29, 33, 42, 43, 44, 45].

As new mothers are often concerned about their infant’s feeding behavior and weight gain, challenges in breastfeeding plays an important role in influencing maternal mental health. Results of this review indicates that initiation of breastfeeding, mode of feeding, infant’s birth weight and their health issues greatly influence the PPD and PPA symptoms among new mothers [37, 45, 46, 47].

Social Factors: With respect to social factors, lack of social or partner support has been identified as one of the major causes for postpartum mental health issues, in several studies [35], on the other hand having familial or general social support serves as a strong protective factors for postnatal mental health issues [48]. Other social factors like immigrant status, previous history of child death, stressful life events, social media usage during prenatal and perinatal period can influence the risk of PPA and PPD [21, 22, 23, 28, 40, 42, 47].

Socio-Demographic Factors: Socio-demographic factors like maternal age, marital status (single/divorced), low education and employment status (being unemployed), low socio-economic status, low income, being in rural setup have greater impact on postpartum mental health issues [20, 29, 49, 50, 51]. Lower levels of education and unemployment can contribute to financial strain and may also limit psychological coping resources, as these factors are often associated with reduced self-esteem among mothers. Since young mothers may lack the necessary financial and psychological resources to cope with maternal mental health challenges, they are also highly susceptible to mental health conditions. Additionally, single motherhood presents significant challenges, as caring for a newborn without partner support can increase both emotional and practical burdens. Other factors like being in joint family setup and being in rural setup could increase the risk of maternal mental health issues [20].

Impact of Postnatal Mental Health Conditions

Postnatal mental health issues can adversely affect both physical health and psychological well-being of mothers, while also having far-reaching consequences for the infants, particularly when these issues are not promptly addressed and treated. Perinatal mental health conditions such as PPD and PPA can make mothering more challenging leading them to perceive the caregiving demands as overwhelming, thereby negatively influencing their psychological well-being [42]. Physiologically, these conditions can also interfere with breast-milk production, which in turn can affect the mother- child bond. Furthermore, maternal mental health challenges can also create difficulty in providing care for the child leading to maternal stress and guilt [52]. Humphreys KL, et al. [53] has highlighted that even mild depressive symptoms can reduce the mother’s readiness to care for the child and affects their confidence in caregiving. In addition, postpartum post- traumatic stress can create fear of childbirth and avoidance of further pregnancy [44].

Maternal mental health challenges also have significant implications for infant development. Avoidant or neglectful caregiving behaviors can greatly affect the infant’s emotional security and disrupt attachment formation. In cases of PPD, reduced maternal responsiveness has been associated with child neglect, which may negatively affect cognitive outcomes such as IQ [54]. Similarly, postpartum PTS symptoms— including hypervigilance, irritability, and emotional instability—can impair a mother’s sensitivity to infant cues, such as crying, thereby affecting the child’s emotional and social development [44].

Additionally, intrusive maternal behaviors associated with PTS symptoms can contribute to avoidance responses in infants. Children of mothers experiencing postpartum PTS symptoms may also exhibit behavioral problems and impaired language development (Simpson & Catling, 2016). Beyond the mother–infant dyad, postpartum PTS symptoms can strain family and social relationships, ultimately disrupting overall family functioning and dynamics.

Implications to Mental Health Professionals

Research has shown that the maternal social support, which is an important protective factor against postpartum mental health conditions, and the mother-child bond, grows stronger over time [44]. It is the first year of postpartum that would be challenging for mothers, especially the first few weeks. It has been highlighted in several studies that necessary medical help during the hospital stay, reasonable maternity leave policies, family and partner support, early diagnosis of postpartum mental health issues and providing necessary interventions can help them during this challenging period.

Combination medications and psychotherapy enables faster recovery from even severe conditions of PPD or postpartum PTSD. Several research studies have indicated that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) works well for PPD and other postpartum mental health conditions like maternal stress and anxiety [55, 56, 57, 58]. CBT helps to identify unhelpful thought patterns and triggers associated with depression and anxiety. In the postpartum context, this includes addressing the automatic negative thoughts related to parenting and childbirth, such as feelings of inadequacy or perceived rejection by the infant. Increasing awareness of these thoughts can help the mothers to critically evaluate and challenge these irrational beliefs, and replace them with more realistic and effective beliefs. This cognitive restructuring process can enhance coping strategies and contribute to the effective management of postpartum depression, stress, and anxiety.

Studies have also shown that Interpersonal therapy (IPT) is effective in improving the maternal mental health after childbirth. This therapy technique involves addressing interpersonal issues and educating about the role transitions following childbirth, which can enhance family relationships and overall social functioning of the mothers [36]. Since emotional support from partners and family members is a significant protective factor against maternal mental health conditions, it is also important to provide them with psychoeducation on risk factors, triggers, and the support systems they can establish for the mothers during the postpartum period.

Conclusion

Postpartum mental health conditions constitute a critical public health concern with significant implications for both mothers and their infants. Given that maternal psychological well-being often declines following childbirth and is closely linked to infant development and well-being, it is essential to understand the factors influencing maternal mental health and to address them in a timely manner. This study has examined the prevalence of postpartum mental health conditions and reported the key contributing factors, while also highlighting important implications for mental health professionals. The findings underscore the importance of increasing awareness of postpartum mental health, strengthening social support systems through psychoeducation, and ensuring timely intervention through early screening and diagnosis. Overall, these efforts are crucial in promoting maternal well-being and fostering healthier developmental outcomes for future generations.

Funding

This research received no external funding.

Data Availability Statement

No new data was created in this study. Data sharing is not applicable to this article.

Conflicts of Interest

The author declares no conflicts of interest.

References

  1. Henshaw EJ, Cooper MA, Jaramillo M, Lamp JM, Jones AL, et al. (2018) ‘trying to figure out if you’re doing things right, and where to get the info’: Parents recall information and support needed during the first 6 weeks postpartum. Matern Child Health J 22(11): 1668-1675.
  2. Meyling MMG, Frieling ME, Vervoort JPM, Feijen-de Jong EI, Jansen DEMC (2023) Health problems experienced by women during the first year postpartum: A systematic review. Eur J Midwifery 7: 42.
  3. Eikemo R, Barimani M, Nyman V, Jonas W, Vikström A (2024) Health challenges and midwifery support for new mothers after childbirth: A cross-sectional study in Sweden. Midwifery 134(104020): 104020.
  4. Albanese AM, Geller PA, Sikes CA, Barkin JL (2021) The importance of patient-centered research in the promotion of postpartum mental health. Front Psychiatry 12: 720106.
  5. Stewart DE, Vigod SN (2019) Postpartum depression: Pathophysiology, treatment, and emerging therapeutics. Annu Rev Med 70(1): 183-196.
  6. Suryawanshi O, Pajai S (2022) A comprehensive review on postpartum depression. Cureus 14(12): e32745.
  7. Nastiti AA (2024) Postpartum fatigue: A critical challenge for new mothers. Pediomatern Nurs J 10(2): 48-50.
  8. Bornstein MH, Suwalsky JTD, Breakstone DA (2012) Emotional relationships between mothers and infants: knowns, unknowns, and unknown unknowns. Dev Psychopathol 24(1): 113-123.
  9. Wang Z, Liu J, Shuai H, Cai Z, Fu X, et al. (2021) Mapping global prevalence of depression among postpartum women. Transl Psychiatry 11(1): 543.
  10. Getahun D, Oyelese Y, Peltier M, Yeh M, Chiu VY, et al. (2023) Trends in postpartum depression by race/ ethnicity and pre-pregnancy body mass index. Am J Obstet Gynecol 228(1): S122-S123.
  11. Esquivel Lauzurique M, Vera Fernández Y, Dennis CL, Rubén Quesada M, Álvarez Valdés G, et al. (2022) Prevalence, incidence, and persistence of postpartum anxiety, depression, and comorbidity: A cohort study among women in Havana Cuba. J Perinat Neonatal Nurs 36(4): E15-E24.
  12. Yakupova VA, Suarez A (2021) Postpartum depression and birth experience in Russia. Psychol Russ State Art 14(1): 28-38.
  13. Gusak N, Kendall S, Nizalova O (2024) Exploring prevalence and factors associated with postpartum depression among Ukrainian women. Eur J Midwifery 8: 1-9.
  14. Shakeel N, Sletner L, Falk RS, Slinning K, Martinsen EW, et al. (2018) Prevalence of postpartum depressive symptoms in a multiethnic population and the role of ethnicity and integration. J Affect Disord 241: 49-58.
  15. Sylvén SM, Thomopoulos TP, Kollia N, Jonsson M, Skalkidou A (2017) Correlates of postpartum depression in first time mothers without previous psychiatric contact. Eur Psychiatry 40: 4-12.
  16. Míguez MC, Vázquez MB (2023) Prevalence of postpartum major depression and depressive symptoms in Spanish women: A longitudinal study up to 1 year postpartum. Midwifery 126(103808): 103808.
  17. Moon B, Kim HK, Nho JH, Choi H, Chung C, et al. (2025) Prevalence and factors influencing postpartum depression and its culture-specific cutoffs for women in Asia: a scoping review. Ewha Med J 48(1): e15.
  18. Peng S, Lai X, Du Y, Meng L, Gan Y, et al. (2021) Prevalence and risk factors of postpartum depression in China: A hospital-based cross-sectional study. J Affect Disord 282: 1096-1100.
  19. Liang P, Wang Y, Shi S, Liu Y, Xiong R (2020) Prevalence and factors associated with postpartum depression during the COVID-19 pandemic among women in Guangzhou China: a cross-sectional study. BMC Psychiatry 20(1): 557.
  20. Shivalli S, Gururaj N (2015) Postnatal depression among rural women in South India: do socio-demographic, obstetric and pregnancy outcome have a role to play? PLoS One 10(4): e0122079.
  21. Lanjewar S, Nimkar S, Jungari S (2021) Depressed motherhood: Prevalence and covariates of maternal Postpartum Depression among urban mothers in India. Asian J Psychiatr 57(102567): 102567.
  22. Singh DR, Sunuwar DR, Adhikari S, Singh S, Karki K (2021) Determining factors for the prevalence of depressive symptoms among postpartum mothers in lowland region in southern Nepal. PLoS One 16(1): e0245199.
  23. Myo T, Hong SA, Thepthien BO, Hongkrailert N (2021) Prevalence and factors associated with postpartum depression in primary healthcare centres in Yangon Myanmar. Malays J Med Sci 28(4): 71-86.
  24. Takehara K, Tachibana Y, Yoshida K, Mori R, Kakee N, et al. (2018) Prevalence trends of pre- and postnatal depression in Japanese women: A population-based longitudinal study. J Affect Disord 225: 389-394.
  25. Abdollahi F, Etemadinezhad S, Lye MS (2016) Postpartum mental health in relation to sociocultural practices. Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol 55(1): 76-80.
  26. Vaezi A, Soojoodi F, Banihashemi AT, Nojomi M (2019) The association between social support and postpartum depression in women: A cross sectional study. Women Birth 32(2): e238-e242.
  27. Abebe A, Tesfaw G, Mulat H, Hibdye G, Yohannes K (2019) Postpartum depression and associated factors among mothers in Bahir Dar Town Northwest Ethiopia. Ann Gen Psychiatry 18(1): 19.
  28. Fantahun A, Cherie A, Deribe L (2018) Prevalence and factors associated with postpartum depression among mothers attending public health centers of Addis Ababa Ethiopia 2016. Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health 14(1): 196-206.
  29. Atuhaire C, Rukundo GZ, Nambozi G, Ngonzi J, Atwine D, et al. (2021) Prevalence of postpartum depression and associated factors among women in Mbarara and Rwampara districts of south-western Uganda. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 21(1): 503.
  30. Odinka P, Odinka J, Ezeme M, Ndukuba A, Amadi K, et al. (2019) Socio-demographic correlates of postpartum psychological distress among apparently healthy mothers in two tertiary hospitals in Enugu South-East Nigeria. Afr Health Sci 19(3): 2515-2525.
  31. Dennis CL, Brown HK, Falah-Hassani K, Marini FC, Vigod SN (2017) Identifying women at risk for sustained postpartum anxiety. J Affect Disord 213: 131-137.
  32. Maria C, Ramesh N, Johnson AR, Prince PM, Rodrigues A, et al. (2021) Prevalence and determinants of postpartum anxiety among women availing health services at a rural maternity hospital in south India. J SAFOG 13(1): 1-5.
  33. Dekel S, Ein-Dor T, Berman Z, Barsoumian IS, Agarwal S, et al. (2019) Delivery mode is associated with maternal mental health following childbirth. Arch Womens Ment Health 22(6): 817-824.
  34. Harrison SE, Ayers S, Quigley MA, Stein A, Alderdice F (2021) Prevalence and factors associated with postpartum posttraumatic stress in a population-based maternity survey in England. J Affect Disord 279: 749- 756.
  35. Ojomo O, Atibioke O, Alesinloye-King O, Erlandsson K, Ängeby K, et al. (2025) A scoping study of postpartum mental health problems and associated factors: opportunities for research and practice. Discov Ment Health 5(1): 136.
  36. Khamidullina Z, Marat A, Muratbekova S, Mustapayeva NM, Chingayeva GN, et al. (2025) Postpartum depression epidemiology, risk factors, diagnosis, and management: An appraisal of the current knowledge and future perspectives. J Clin Med 14(7): 2418.
  37. Liu Y, Zhang L, Guo N, Jiang H (2021) Postpartum depression and postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder: prevalence and associated factors. BMC Psychiatry 21(1): 487.
  38. Marques R, Monteiro F, Canavarro MC, Fonseca A (2018) The role of emotion regulation difficulties in the relationship between attachment representations and depressive and anxiety symptoms in the postpartum period. J Affect Disord 238: 39-46.
  39. Zheng J, Gao LL (2023) Parenting self-efficacy and social support among parents in mainland China across the first six months postpartum: A prospective cohort study. Midwifery 123(103719): 103719.
  40. Gheorghe M, Varin M, Wong SL, Baker M, Grywacheski V, et al. (2021) Symptoms of postpartum anxiety and depression among women in Canada: findings from a national cross-sectional survey. Can J Public Health 112(2): 244-252.
  41. Çankaya S, Ataş A (2022) Factors affecting postpartum depression in Turkish women. Arch Psychiatr Nurs 41: 74-80.
  42. Kuipers YJ, van Beeck E, Cijsouw A, van Gils Y (2021) The impact of motherhood on the course of women’s psychological wellbeing. J Affect Disord Rep 6(100216): 100216.
  43. Maliszewska K, Świątkowska-Freund M, Bidzan M, Preis K (2017) Screening for maternal postpartum depression and associations with personality traits and social support. a polish follow-up study 4 weeks and 3 months after delivery. Psychiatr Pol 51(5): 889-898.
  44. La Rosa VL, Alparone D, Commodari E (2025) Psychological and social factors influencing mother- child bonding in the first year after birth: a model for promoting infant and maternal well-being. Front Psychol 16: 1588433.
  45. Abulaiti A, Abudurexiti M, Nuermaimaiti A, Kelimu A (2022) Analysis of the incidence and influencing factors of postpartum depression and anxiety: A cross-sectional study in Xinjiang from 2018 to 2021. J Affect Disord 302: 15-24.
  46. Liu S, Yan Y, Gao X, Xiang S, Sha T, et al. (2017) Risk factors for postpartum depression among Chinese women: path model analysis. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 17(1): 133.
  47. Mutua J, Kigamwa P, Ng’ang’a P, Tele A, Kumar M (2020) A comparative study of postpartum anxiety and depression in mothers with pre-term births in Kenya. J Affect Disord Rep 2(100043): 100043.
  48. Qutteina Y, Nasrallah C, James-Hawkins L, Nur AA, Yount KM, et al. (2018) Social resources and Arab women’s perinatal mental health: A systematic review. Women Birth 31(5): 386-397.
  49. Hannon S, Gartland D, Higgins A, Brown SJ, Carroll M, et al. (2022) Maternal mental health in the first year postpartum in a large Irish population cohort: the MAMMI study. Arch Womens Ment Health 25(3): 641- 653.
  50. Matsumura K, Hamazaki K, Tsuchida A, Kasamatsu H, Inadera H, et al. (2020) Factor structure of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale in the Japan Environment and Children’s Study. Sci Rep 10(1): 11647.
  51. Meltzer-Brody S, Maegbaek ML, Medland SE, Miller WC, Sullivan P, et al. (2017) Obstetrical, pregnancy and socio- economic predictors for new-onset severe postpartum psychiatric disorders in primiparous women. Psychol Med 47(8): 1427-1441.
  52. Türkmen H, Akın B, Aksoy YE, Erdoğan A (2022) Maternal attachment and mental health status in mothers who have babies with infantile colic. Midwifery 110(103339): 103339.
  53. Humphreys KL, King LS, Choi P, Gotlib IH (2018) Maternal depressive symptoms, self-focus, and caregiving behavior. J Affect Disord 238: 465-471.
  54. Baird H, Harris RA, Santos HP Jr (2023) The effects of maternal perinatal depression on child IQ: A systematic review. Matern Child Health J 27(9): 1489-1502.
  55. Pettman D, O’Mahen H, Blomberg O, Svanberg AS, von Essen L, et al. (2023) Effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy-based interventions for maternal perinatal depression: a systematic review and meta- analysis. BMC Psychiatry 23(1): 208.
  56. Li X, Laplante DP, Paquin V, Lafortune S, Elgbeili G, et al. (2022) Effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy for perinatal maternal depression, anxiety and stress: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Clin Psychol Rev 92: 102129.
  57. Simpson M, Catling C (2016) Understanding psychological traumatic birth experiences: A literature review. Women Birth 29(3): 203-207.
  58. World Health Organization (n.d.) Perinatal mental health. World Health Organization.
More from this journal

Cite this article

BibTeX
APA
RIS
@article{vaijayanthi2026,
  title   = {Postpartum Maternal Mental Health - A Narrative Review},
  author  = {Vaijayanthi Vaidyanathan},
  journal = {Open Access Journal of Gynecology},
  year    = {2026},
  volume  = {11},
  number  = {1},
  doi     = {10.23880/oajg-16000305}
}
Vaijayanthi Vaidyanathan (2026). Postpartum Maternal Mental Health - A Narrative Review. Open Access Journal of Gynecology, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.23880/oajg-16000305
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Postpartum Maternal Mental Health - A Narrative Review
AU  - Vaijayanthi Vaidyanathan
JO  - Open Access Journal of Gynecology
PY  - 2026
VL  - 11
IS  - 1
DO  - 10.23880/oajg-16000305
ER  -