Return-to-work support needed for women with postpartum depression or psychosis
Birkbeck Organizational Psychologist Dr Caroline Kamau writes in the Lancet Psychiatry
Organizational psychologist Dr Caroline Kamau has called for improved return-to-work support for women suffering from postpartum depression or psychosis, writing in the Lancet Psychiatry on 27 January 2017.
Dr Kamau says: “Postpartum depression is very different to stress or ‘baby blues’ and it affects up to 20% of women after childbirth. Symptoms include extreme fatigue and finding it difficult to concentrate, which can severely impair a woman’s ability to work. Previous research has shown that pre-eclampsia, gestational hypertension, postpartum haemorrhage or premature membrane rupture are associated with a higher risk of postpartum depression, therefore, we need to see an integrated approach in NHS support for women with postpartum depression, addressing both psychiatric and obstetric factors.”
Postpartum psychosis affects 0.1-0.2% of women and can likewise impair occupational ability. During severe psychosis, which generally lasts 2-12 weeks, symptoms include delusions, disorganised speech, hallucinations and catatonic or disorganised psychomotor behaviour. Recovery can take up to a year, during which women may experience reduced attention, concentration, logical processing and other forms of cognitive executive functioning at work.
Dr Kamau continues: “A 2014 analysis estimated that, in the UK, postpartum depression costs health and social care services £1,688 per case and postpartum psychosis £24,302 per case. Employment is helpful to people with severe mental disorders and reduces mental health service costs in the long run, yet only 56% of community mental health service users in the UK receive return-to-work support from the NHS.
“Common forms of psychiatric treatment for these disorders present an opportunity to integrate informational support about returning to work with regular treatment. Psychiatrists need to advise patients about whether or not they are ready to resume employment and how best to cope with the occupational impairments connected with their symptoms or medication. Returning to work can reduce social isolation and financial strain as well as maintain feelings of self efficacy and identity, reducing the risk of postpartum depression or psychosis becoming chronic.
“However, without the right advice, women combining employment, childcare and treatment for postpartum depression or psychosis could find it highly stressful and experience a delayed recovery. I therefore encourage psychiatrists to advise their patients about the benefits and risks of resuming employment.”
Further information:
- Dr Caroline Kamau
- Department of Organizational Psychology
- School of Business, Economics and Informatics
- Courses in organizational psychology