FREE Webinar 10:00 – 11:00, 9 July 2014
About 15% of mothers will develop postnatal depression (PND) and it can affect women up to a year after they have given birth says Sarah Bateup, cognitive behavioural therapist and clinical lead at PsychologyOnline. Sarah is chairing our forthcoming webinar on PND which begins at 10:00 BST on 9 July 2014.
Sarah explains: “Most women will experience symptoms of feeling a bit tearful and tired, particularly in the first few weeks after birth. This is perfectly normal and these feelings generally resolve without treatment. With PND, these symptoms tend to be more severe and go on for longer.
“Postnatal depression often starts with feelings of sadness and low mood
that last for three or more weeks without going away. Mothers lose pleasure and
enjoyment in things and often avoid activities that they would usually
participate in. Often mothers find that can worry excessively and find it hard
to be reassured.
“These feelings can be accompanied by physical symptoms such as headaches, feeling sick, butterflies in the stomach, dizziness and a racing heart. Mothers may not want to be around other people or to leave the house. In extreme cases, they may stop sleeping, eating and taking general care of themselves and their baby.”
Sarah has successfully treated women with PND and says that, very often, it only takes a few sessions in order for people to begin to feel better.
“Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is particularly beneficial for conditions like PND. It is a collaborative process where the therapist and patient work together to develop a good understanding of the processes that are maintaining the symptoms.
“These feelings can be accompanied by physical symptoms such as headaches, feeling sick, butterflies in the stomach, dizziness and a racing heart. Mothers may not want to be around other people or to leave the house. In extreme cases, they may stop sleeping, eating and taking general care of themselves and their baby.”
Sarah has successfully treated women with PND and says that, very often, it only takes a few sessions in order for people to begin to feel better.
“Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is particularly beneficial for conditions like PND. It is a collaborative process where the therapist and patient work together to develop a good understanding of the processes that are maintaining the symptoms.
“Usually maintaining factors are driven by the way that our mind
begins to interpret things (cognitions) and our consequential actions or
behaviours. For example, when we feel anxious or low in mood it is very common
for people to start to avoid doing things. Unfortunately, avoidance usually
results in people feeling worse.
work on developing ways to manage and improve the symptoms. CBT can be a very effective treatment.
“PsychologyOnline’s approach to CBT is particularly beneficial, as people do not need to leave their home for an appointment. Instead, it allows them to work with a therapist online using secure instant messages and gain the skills and strategies needed to cope more effectively. There is no need for new-mums to even change out of their pyjamas!“
To better understand the factors that contribute to postnatal depression and why some women may not seek help, PsychologyOnline has run a national survey in partnership with Infertility Network
The findings will be discussed in a webinar, which aims to raise awareness of how to recognise the condition and consider the types of support that mothers would find beneficial.
The free webinar “Can postnatal depression be predicted?’ will be held on 9 July 2014 at 10:00. If you would like to register your interest, please email info@psychologyonline.co.uk with “PND webinar” in the subject line giving your name, organisation (if applicable) and email address.
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