The Baby Website - Post Natal Depression Causes

Home> Advice> After the Birth> Post Natal Depression

Post Natal Depression Causes

The cause of postnatal depression is not completely clear.

The condition can affect any mother (or father). PND does not usually have a single cause, but is the result of a combination of factors. Depression is often caused by emotional and stressful events, such as moving house, the break up of a relationship, the death of a relative, or having a baby.

In terms of PND, stressful events around the birth can increase your risk of getting the condition. This may include factors such as:

Article continues below advertisement

depression during the pregnancy,

worry and anxiety about the responsibility of having a new baby,

a difficult delivery,

lack of support at home,

relationship worries,

money problems,

having no close family or friends around you,

mental health problems in the past, such as depression, or previous postnatal depression,

physical health problems following the birth, such as anaemia, or urinary incontinence.

As depression tends to run in families, genetics are thought to play a part in the PND, but the exact nature of the link between the condition, and genetics, is not fully understood. The changes in hormone levels that occur during and after pregnancy were once thought to cause PND. However, there is no evidence to suggest that this is the case. It is much more likely that the condition is related to the combination of life changes that occur after childbirth.