MATERNAL DEPRESSION: WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF DEATH
Beginning of the global pandemic, many social issues were not discussed on the media platform. The rise of the corona virus cases became the headlines of the day. Discussions were held everywhere including social media platforms. It seems the world at that time was adjusting to global situations which did not only affect lives but also the economy, entertainment and even the political sphere. The governance of prominent world leaders went through the test of time as they were putting measures in place to reduce the cases. The global economy took a different turn as the stock markets fell. Health workers had to be on the battlefield to save lives.
Gradually, new developments in relations to Corona virus cases kept occupying the media space as to how and when the pandemic will be over. Just as the media had the choice to prioritize stories that made headlines, this time round that choice was taken and they all had to stick to one subject that was dominating through the print, radio, and television.
However, there were some issues that escalated during the pandemic which resulted in many countries going under total or partial lockdown. It was during this time that depression started to hit into the various home of many. Till date depression is still not considered to be the talked about subject.
Depression comes in many forms but the one not highlighted within the public space is maternal depression. Maternal depression is when mother encounters serious medical illness that negatively affects her mental growth. Mothers are vulnerable to depression and when parenting is involved it becomes more challenging. According to the World Health Organization (W.H.O), it is reported that 10% pregnant women go through depression and in the developing countries about 19.8% women go through depression.
The reason behind this is that, depression in most countries is not often recognized as an urgent health issue. Therefore, most women suffer in silence and are kept at the back of their heads as strong women. Also, some women are instilled with fear to talk about issues relating to depression. The fear of being abandoned, isolated, blamed and discriminated within the society or community they live in.
However, the major barrier that has prevented treatment of maternal depression includes;
Lack of awareness
Most women have no idea about what depression actually means. The necessary information that is needed to educate the public about maternal depression is considered irrelevant. This often leads to pessimism in most women when they go through dark phase in their lives. As a result, they slowly develop a low self esteem feeling that is the role they are suppose to play according to societal norms.
Misconceptions around
depression
Most women in fear of losing their marriages or families would rather suffer in silence than to speak up. When issues like this are being discussed they have that negative thoughts of been tagged as nagging or not strong enough. When this continues, it sometimes leads to suicidal thoughts. In most African countries, due to the patriarchal nature in most environments, women are expected to submit to men. In the eyes of the society, women who submit are termed as good women and women who stand up or outspoken are often referred to as nagging women, so it becomes frightening for women to talk about depression due to its misconception.
Lack of treatment
Some women may be aware of maternal depression but since it is not considered to be a major health problem, they intend to stay at home and suffer the consequence. This has resulted in mental breakdown in most women globally.
Nonetheless, in order for a person to notice a woman going through maternal depression, there are recurring symptoms which include Self isolation, restlessness, fatigue, lack of self interest in children, feelings of hopelessness and powerlessness. When such symptoms are been noticed it is advised that, the spouse or a relative should immediately stay close to the affected person as possible and seek medical advice from a therapist.
The only way out for the cases of maternal depression to decrease is to:
1. Improve awareness- Health communicators and medical doctors should educate the public more on the issues of maternal depression. Creating awareness about maternal depression will eliminate the misconceptions surrounding such an important health issue.
2. Treated as an urgent public health- The health of the human body should not be categorized and prioritized. It should all be treated equally as each performs a unique function in the human development. Maternal depression should be treated as such to enable women to seek medical advice and help fellow women when they go through the darkest moments in their lives.
3. Creation of Focused support system- The creation of supporting groups will not only create awareness but will boost women to speak up rather than suffer in silence. Supporting groups will encourage women to implement solutions through social media platforms to educate, motivate and support women in times of need
4. Be ready to seek help- When a mother goes through depression. She should be ready to seek help from a therapist to make her better in her mental growth.
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