X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

Postpartum Anxiety Outpaces Postpartum Depression In New Mums

3 min read
Postpartum Anxiety Outpaces Postpartum Depression In New Mums

Anxiety disorders cause a huge amount of emotional distress, they compromise quality of life, they’re associated with lots of health care cost.

Just when postpartum depression is finally being discussed, a new disorder from which new mothers suffers is on the rise: postpartum anxiety.

In fact, according to a published research from the University of British Columbia, postpartum anxiety has now become more common, with severe anxiety being three to four times more common than depression during pregnancy and early motherhood.

“Psychologist Nichole Fairbrother led a team that studied 310 pregnant women from Metro Vancouver between 2007 and 2010,” said a Vancouver Sun report.

The researchers found that 16% of pregnant women and 17% of new mothers were diagnosed with potential anxiety disorder. In comparison, four of pregnant women and 5% of new mothers have potential depression.

Postpartum Anxiety Outpaces Postpartum Depression In New Mums

Image source: iStock

“The implication of this finding is we have a collection of mental health conditions that we’re not paying enough attention to,” Dr. Nicole Fairbrother says. “Anxiety disorders cause a huge amount of emotional distress, they compromise quality of life, they’re associated with lots of health care cost, and they’re impairing, so they interfere with the ability to work.”

She also admitted that their data isn’t yet sufficient, and more research needs to get into the study, but she and her team are certain of one thing.

A mother’s psyche influences her parenting, as well as the quality of the mother-infant relationship being developed; anxious mothers communicate less effectively with their infants.

“If we’re only paying attention to depression, we may be providing inappropriate treatment,” she added. “Women may be getting treated for the wrong thing.”

Next page find out the different types of anxiety disorder

The different types of anxiety disorders

Postpartum Anxiety Outpaces Postpartum Depression In New Mums

Image source: iStock

Anxiety is a normal human emotion, just like happiness and frustration and excitement, but people with anxiety disorders describe their condition as more than mere fear. It causes uncommon distress and disrupts its sufferer from going through daily life.

Common symptoms of anxiety include feelings of panic, fear, and uneasiness; problems sleeping; cold or sweaty hands or feet; shortness of breath; heart palpitations; and being unable to be still and calm.

According to WebMD, there are several kinds of anxiety disorders. Here are some of them:

  • Panic disorder. People with this condition have feelings of terror that strike suddenly and repeatedly with no warning.
  • Social anxiety disorder. Also called social phobia, this involves overwhelming worry and self-consciousness about everyday social situations.
  • Specific phobias. These are intense fears of a specific object or situation, such as heights or flying.
  • Generalised anxiety disorder. This is excessive, unrealistic worry and tension, even if there’s little or nothing to provoke the anxiety.

If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them in our Comment box below or check out theAsianparent Community for more insightful parenting news and tips . 

Partner Stories
8 Wonderful Effects of Coconut Water For Pregnancy
8 Wonderful Effects of Coconut Water For Pregnancy
Parenting Lesson from a New Mum - Don’t Try to Do it All on Your Own!
Parenting Lesson from a New Mum - Don’t Try to Do it All on Your Own!
The Complete Delivery Bag List For The Entire Family
The Complete Delivery Bag List For The Entire Family
Can Pregnant Women Eat Instant Noodles?
Can Pregnant Women Eat Instant Noodles?

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

ddc-calendar
Get ready for the baby’s arrival by adding your due date.
OR
Calculate your due date
img
Written by

James Martinez

  • Home
  • /
  • Becoming a Parent
  • /
  • Postpartum Anxiety Outpaces Postpartum Depression In New Mums
Share:
  • 9 Signs of Postpartum Depression to Watch Out For And How To Manage The Condition

    9 Signs of Postpartum Depression to Watch Out For And How To Manage The Condition

  • 8 Unexpected Postpartum Depression Symptoms

    8 Unexpected Postpartum Depression Symptoms

  • 9 Signs of Postpartum Depression to Watch Out For And How To Manage The Condition

    9 Signs of Postpartum Depression to Watch Out For And How To Manage The Condition

  • 8 Unexpected Postpartum Depression Symptoms

    8 Unexpected Postpartum Depression Symptoms

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and updates on pregnancy.