Explain the reasons why gender can affect the development of depression, and describe the symptoms and causes of "maternity blues" and postpartum depression

What will be an ideal response?

Answer will include that women are 50 percent more likely than men to experience depression. Researchers believe that social and environmental conditions are the main reasons for this difference. Factors that contribute to women's greater risk for depression include conflicts about birth control and pregnancy, work and parenting, the strain of providing emotional support for others, marital strife, sexual and physical abuse, and poverty, since nationwide, women and children are more likely to live in poverty than men. As a result, poor women frequently suffer the stresses associated with single parenthood, loss of control over their lives, poor housing, and dangerous neighborhoods. One study found that women in the United States were most likely to be depressed if they lacked education, were unmarried, were Latina, had high stress levels, and experienced feelings of hopelessness. After pregnancy and childbirth, many women face a high risk of becoming depressed. The two most common forms of the problem are maternity blues and postpartum depression. An estimated 25 to 50 percent of all women experience maternity blues, a mild depression that usually lasts from one to two days after childbirth. These "third­day blues" are marked by crying, fitful sleep, tension, anger, and irritability. For most women, such reactions are a normal part of adjusting to childbirth. The depression is usually brief and not too severe. For some women, maternity blues can be the beginning of a serious depression. Roughly 13 percent of all women who give birth develop postpartum depression, a moderately severe depression that begins within three months following childbirth. Typical signs of postpartum depression are mood swings, despondency, feelings of inadequacy, and an inability to cope with the new baby. Unlike other types of depression, postpartum depression also features unusually high levels of restlessness and difficulty concentrating. Depression of this kind may last anywhere from two months to about a year. Women are not the only ones to suffer when postpartum depression strikes. A depressed mother can seriously retard her child's rate of development. Stress and anxiety before birth and negative attitudes toward child rearing increase the risk of postpartum depression. A troubled marriage and lack of support from the father are also danger signs. Part of the problem may be hormonal. After a woman gives birth, her estrogen levels can drop, altering her mood. Women who become depressed tend to see their husbands as unsupportive.
Therefore, educating new parents about the importance of supporting one another may reduce the risk of depression. Groups where new mothers can discuss their feelings are also helpful. If depression is severe or long lasting, new mothers should seek professional help.