The Importance of Medication

Helena Bradford, chairwoman of the Ruth Rhoden Craven Foundation for Postpartum Depression Awareness, sent me the following information on the results of a study entitled "Women's Views of Antidepressants in the Treatment of Postnatal Depression."

An abstract of the study, which was conducted at the Faculty of Health and Sciences at Staffordshire University in Britain, stated that:

Little research has been carried out on the treatment of postnatal depression [which we call postpartum depression here in the U.S.] and clinicians must currently rely on general recommendations for the use of antidepressants.  Antidepressant medication as the main treatment for depression in general practice has been shown to be effective when used as prescribed.  However, research has shown that depressed patients consistently receive either no medication or consistently low doses of medication.   This study investigated women's experiences of taking antidepressant medication for postnatal depression.  Thirty-five women with a clinical diagnosis of postnatal depression who had been prescribed antidepressant medication completed a questionnaire detailing their experiences of taking medication ... Of the 35 women who were prescribed medication, four chose not to take it because they were breastfeeding.  Twenty of the women described finding medication helpful.  Although only four women directly reported not taking antidepressants as prescribed, the comments made by a further nine women suggest that compliance may have been poor.  This study suggests a need to improve information about medication for postnatal depression.  If this information is not provided, women are likely to continue to self-manage medication at a dosage that may be clinically ineffective.

Helena says that her experience has been that most physicians unfamiliar with treating postpartum depression fall into the same trap as described in the last sentence of the report, undertreating the illness.  "My prayer," she said, "is that better information surrounding the safety of SSRI's used during pregnancy and lactation will be forthcoming -- and quickly."  I second that.