How to Predict Postpartum Depression: Blood Test or Screening?

I absolutely share your concern. It's shocking that certain states have mandated this blood test. And I'm equally shocked that you would suggest people fill out that bogus "screening test". Who ever has a day where they don't feel irritable, worried about their child, low energy, or guilty? All of those things, I was informed, are possibly "symptoms" of an "illness". The whole process of psychiatric evaluation is completely subjective. Such studies (which you rightly question), tests and programs are being pushed by pharmaceutical companies and psychiatrists who stand to profit immensely.

Besides, I would be more surprised, frankly, if people who gave birth DID NOT experience at least some serious post-birth loss of vitality. It can be extremely draining, wouldn't you say!? It's a little demanding on the body and brain to go through 9 months of pregnancy, no?! It could easily take some people months to fully recover, depending on their overall health, support at home, age etc. And that's what we should be encouraging women to do... We should be helping women focus on their own health after pregnancy, not on giving them some bogus test that will almost inevitably lead to them being prescribed damaging, unpredictable mind-altering drugs.

Your citations of those extremely rare "notorious" cases simply fuel people's irrational, disproportionate fears about all this. It's also important to note that in some cases, those women were taking certain psychiatric medications which have since been proven to be linked to rare instances of violence, and in other cases the "diagnoses" of PPD was simply slapped on them after they'd committed a horrible deed.

For more info see http://www.mycanadianshield.ca/mindscape

R 4:04PM February 03, 2009