Letters | Support new mothers’ mental health
Readers discuss post-partum mental health, how to encourage Gen Z parenthood, and filial piety
Post-partum depression affects roughly 17 per cent of new mothers globally, with a survey in Hong Kong reporting a rate as high as 31 per cent.
Mild baby blues, affecting up to 80 per cent of mothers shortly after birth, are transient and typically resolve within weeks. In contrast, post-partum depression is more persistent, characterised by profound sadness, anxiety and hopelessness. Other mental health disorders also pose risks during the perinatal period, including perinatal anxiety disorders and post-partum psychosis.
The lack of private inpatient mental health services and the absence of mother-and-baby units – which provide specialist optimum care for mothers with postnatal depression or psychosis – significantly increase the risk of poor outcomes.
Evidence-based strategies for the prevention and treatment of perinatal mental health disorders emphasise routine screening to enable early detection.