What Causes Postpartum Depression?

We do not yet have a really clear idea about the cause(s) of postpartum depression. Since this type of depression occurs at a time of major hormonal flux, researchers have for many years tried to identify a particular hormone or hormonal system which may be malfunctioning in women with postpartum depression. However, to date, there is no evidence of hormonal dysfunction in women with postpartum depression, although some women may be particularly sensitive to normal changes in hormone levels (e.g. during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy or menopause) (Bloch et al. 2000).

Researchers have established strong associations between a number of clinical and psychosocial variables and postpartum depression, including:

• depression or anxiety during pregnancy
• stressful life events during pregnancy
• lack of social support
• previous history of depression
• personality style ("neurotic", "nervous", or "worrier" styles)
• relationship problems (Robertson et al. 2004)

Most researchers and health care providers believe that, just as for general depression, postpartum depression is likely a complex, multifactorial condition with multiple causes and triggers, including biological, psychological, and social variables (Ross et al. 2004).

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