Review and Analysis of Selected Resources Concerning Post-Natal Depression In the present day, owing to different factors, a significant number of child bearing women are experiencing post natal depression. Statistics indicate a huge prevalence with 13 percent of women worldwide suffering from post natal depression. The purpose of this research proposal is to develop an entry for selected resources concerning post-natal depression, and to provide a confirmatory analysis of the relevance of the respective resources to the above-stated thesis.

Review and Analysis

Article #1: Moraitou, Galanakis, Stalikas and Garivaldis (2011)

Five key words that relate to the content of the source

Childbirth, positive emotions, post natal depression, resilience, coping

Summary of the research findings

The general topic these researchers are addressing concerns the onset of post-natal depression can be mitigated by helping new mothers develop the coping skills they need to overcome the adverse consequences of depression following childbirth. These authors examined past studies in this area to discover what is already known about this topic and provide an exhaustive list of references in support of their research. The overarching theme that emerged from their research concerned the fact that encouraging the development of positive emotions has been identified as a useful intervention to promote coping resources in post-natal mothers.

Because the birth of a child is widely regarded as inculcating positive emotions in women, it was the hypothesis of these researchers that such positive emotions can be leveraged to mitigate the effects of post-natal depression among a population of 193 women (aged 30 to 34 years) before and after childbirth .The results of this study supported the researchers’ hypothesis and provide evidence for future studies in this area.

Confirmatory analysis

Although other sources cite an approximate 13% prevalence rate of post-natal depression in Western women, Moraitou and her associates (2011) cite studies that place that rate far higher, ranging as high as 34% to 53% among women who have recently given birth. The findings that emerged from this study, however, suggest that all women experience positive emotions following childbirth and these emotions can be used to help them avoid the onset of post-natal depression. It is reasonable to suggest, however, that not all women view childbirth in this positive light, and that the emotions they experience as a result may exacerbate their vulnerability to developing post-natal depression. Indeed, more than half of the participants in this study reported their pregnancies were unplanned, and a small but significant percentage suffered from a wide array of chronic health conditions associated with their pregnancies and that a number of other factors served to mitigate the onset of post-natal depression, including the

Article #2: Stein, Malmberg, Sylva, Barnes & Leach (2008)

Five key words that relate to the content of the source

Caregiving, maternal depression, cognitive development, language acquisition, United Kingdom

Summary of the research findings

Besides the deleterious effects post-natal depression can have on new mothers, the disorder has also been implicated in adversely affecting behavioral and emotional development in children. Although additional studies are...

To this end, the general topic under consideration in this study concerned the extent to which maternal depression and caregiving have an effect on children’s language development during their first year of life. This study was novel in that it longitudinally focused on the lived experiences of 1,201 English women for a period of more than 3 years and the participants were evaluated using a broad array of instruments and methods, including a questionnaire, personal interviews and empirical in-home observations and mother-child interactions.
Confirmatory analysis

The findings that emerged from this study provided support for the researchers’ hypothesis that post-natal depression has an adverse effect on children’s language development during their first year of life, but that these effects are diminished by their third year of life. This study employed a rigorous, thoughtful and reliable research strategy that underscored the importance of providing new mothers with the support services they need during the critical period following the birth of their child.

Article #3: Psychological support for mothers can reduce post-natal depression (2010).

Five key words that relate to the content of the source

Health visitor, depression, post-partum, maternal support, nursing training

Summary of the research findings

The general topic of this study was post-natal depression. In line with previous research that indicated new mothers can substantively benefit from trained home visitor who provide them with the support they need during the months following childbirth, this article describes the results of a study that compared new mothers who received trained health visits to provide psychological support with those who did not. The findings that emerged from the reported study provided significant support for the researchers’ hypothesis that fewer new mothers who received these support services would develop post-natal depression at a rate less than those who did not receive these services. The results of this study showed that new mothers who received psychological support services from home visitors suffered post-natal depression at a rate fully 30% less than those new mothers who did not receive these psychological support services from home visitors.

Confirmatory analysis

Although home visitors go by other names in different countries, most provide essentially the same types of support services for new mothers. The results of this study reinforced the need to train home visitors concerning the potential for the development of post-natal depression and what types of psychological support services are best suited for different situations.

Article #4: Hazrat, Humza & Saeed (2017)

Five key words that relate to the content of the source

Depression, Edinburgh post natal depression, lactating mothers, perceptions of insufficient, maternal questionnaire

Summary of the research findings

The general topic of this study concerned the effects of perceptions of adequate breast milk production on the onset of post-natal depression of new mothers. Drawing on previous studies that…