PSI Characteristics of Postpartum Depression 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is a risk factor that increases a woman's likelihood of developing postpartum depression?
- Having a previous history of depression (Correct answer)
- Delivering via cesarean section without complications
- Having a supportive co-parent present at home
- Breastfeeding successfully from the first day
Correct answer: Having a previous history of depression
A personal history of depression or other mood disorders is one of the strongest risk factors for developing postpartum depression.
Question 2: Irritability and anger, rather than sadness, as the primary mood presentation of PPD is:
- A sign the diagnosis is incorrect
- A recognized and common presentation, especially in women (Correct answer)
- Only seen in postpartum anxiety, not PPD
- Indicative of postpartum psychosis
Correct answer: A recognized and common presentation, especially in women
Irritability and anger are common primary mood presentations of PPD and may be more prevalent than sadness in some affected individuals.
Question 3: Sleep disturbance in PPD is characterized by:
- Sleeping too much with no periods of insomnia
- Insomnia or hypersomnia beyond what is explained by infant care demands (Correct answer)
- Sleeping in exact synchrony with the infant's schedule
- No sleep changes; PPD affects only waking hours
Correct answer: Insomnia or hypersomnia beyond what is explained by infant care demands
PPD-related sleep disturbance includes insomnia or hypersomnia that exceeds what is expected from newborn care responsibilities.
Question 4: How does postpartum depression differ from postpartum psychosis in terms of reality testing?
- PPD involves hallucinations; psychosis does not
- PPD maintains intact reality testing; psychosis involves loss of reality contact (Correct answer)
- Both conditions equally impair reality testing
- Psychosis preserves reality testing; PPD does not
Correct answer: PPD maintains intact reality testing; psychosis involves loss of reality contact
Women with PPD generally maintain reality testing, whereas postpartum psychosis involves severe breaks with reality such as hallucinations and delusions.
Question 5: A mother exclusively blames herself for every challenge her baby faces, believing she is the cause of all problems. This symptom reflects:
- Healthy maternal responsibility
- Excessive guilt and self-blame, a core PPD symptom (Correct answer)
- Postpartum OCD rather than PPD
- An accurate assessment of parenting challenges
Correct answer: Excessive guilt and self-blame, a core PPD symptom
Excessive, pervasive guilt and self-blame are core cognitive symptoms of postpartum depression that distort a mother's self-perception.
Question 6: Postpartum depression in mothers has been associated with which infant outcome if left untreated?
- Faster motor development milestones
- Disrupted infant cognitive and socioemotional development (Correct answer)
- Improved infant independence at earlier ages
- No measurable impact on infant outcomes
Correct answer: Disrupted infant cognitive and socioemotional development
Untreated maternal PPD is associated with disruptions in infant cognitive, socioemotional, and behavioral development due to impaired caregiving interactions.
Question 7: When assessing PPD, the PSI recommends that screening occur at which time points?
- Only at the six-week postpartum check-up
- During pregnancy and at multiple postpartum visits throughout the first year (Correct answer)
- Only when the mother reports feeling depressed
- At the one-year well-child visit only
Correct answer: During pregnancy and at multiple postpartum visits throughout the first year
PSI and major health organizations recommend screening for PPD during pregnancy and at multiple postpartum visits, not just once, to catch variable-onset cases.
PSI Characteristics of Postpartum Depression 5
Which of the following is a risk factor that increases a woman's likelihood of developing postpartum depression?