Shedding Light on the Shadows: Postpartum Mental Health Matters

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Ms. Reet Oberoi, a 20-year medical student residing in UAE. She is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one.

They say a child is born, but so is a mother—and yet, the world often forgets to care for the latter. While the arrival of a baby is often celebrated, the emotional journey of the mother remains overlooked, especially in the critical weeks following birth.

Postpartum refers to the period following the birth of a child. 85 percent of women undergo some form of mood disturbance during this time. Majorly, these disturbances are mild and short lived. Nevertheless, for 10 to 15 percent of new mothers, these symptoms can become serious mental health issues, the most common include postpartum depression, anxiety disorders, and in severe cases, postpartum psychosis.

Understanding and addressing postpartum mental health is essential. Research indicates that these conditions not only affect the mother’s well-being but can also impact the healthy development of the child. This includes delays in language acquisition and difficulties in forming a secure mother-child bond. When mothers suffer, children suffer too.

Despite being common, postpartum mental health continues to be heavily shrouded in stigma and quietness. Mothers are often in pain and prefer suffering in silence. This is the root of the problem – society’s perception of motherhood and the expectations that come with it. The goal of this essay is to show how understanding postpartum mental health can replace judgment with compassion and silence with understanding.

The stigma stems from deep-rooted cultural taboos and the pressure to portray motherhood as purely joyful. Many mothers fear being perceived as unfit, especially in communities where mental illness is misunderstood. This fear can prevent them from seeking help, risking worsening symptoms and long-term emotional harm.

The most common postpartum mental health conditions manifest in different forms. Postpartum depression includes persistent sadness, lack of interest in daily activities, and sleep disturbances. Postpartum anxiety is marked by excessive worry about parenting responsibilities. Postpartum psychosis, though rare, includes severe symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, or extreme mood swings.

These conditions have a variety of underlying causes. Hormonally sensitive women may experience mood swings because of the decrease in estrogen and progesterone following childbirth. Stressful life events surrounding delivery, a lack of social support, or marital dissatisfaction exacerbate this biological trigger. These are medical issues, not moral failings, and must be treated with clinical seriousness.

Fortunately, there has been a lot of progress recently. Professional training, online support groups, and helplines are provided by organizations like Postpartum Support International. Early detection of at-risk mothers is aided by tools like the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. New avenues for recovery include FDA-approved medications like brexanolone and specialized centres like New York’s The Motherhood Center. Even technology is stepping in, as chatbots make it easier to get mental health support.

Nonetheless, the road ahead is long. Improved understanding, availability of culturally appropriate treatment, and transparent dialogue are essential. We must normalize what so many mothers experience and offer them the support they need without hesitation.

Because when we support mothers, we don’t just heal individuals—we heal communities and generations.

About the author

Reet Oberoi is a 20-year medical student residing in UAE. She is currently a 2^nd year medical student at Gulf Medical University, Ajman and has recently joined SCOME, IFHMSA. She is very passionate about mental health advocacy and wants to contribute as much as she can in starting the dialogue on mental health hence, making support accessible to those who are in need. Besides her studies, she is interested in reading and listening to music.