Kleiman reiterates that not all women who give birth will develop a mental health problem. Fluctuating hormones won’t cause all women to become mentally unstable—but most likely those women who have a genetic predisposition to an illness such as depression may have the depression triggered by the dramatic hormonal imbalance created from childbirth.
With that said, experts are convinced there is a link.
“We are, however, more and more convinced that there is a strong biologic link which explains why biological interventions, such as antidepressant medications are so effective in treating this illness. A woman is most at risk for emotional illness during and after pregnancy than at any other time in her life. The dramatic hormonal and biologic changes are contributing factors but so are psychological, environmental and genetic factors. Areas of vulnerabilities create the opportunity for depression to emerge,” Kleiman says.
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