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Depression symptoms identified postpartum can emerge before pregnancy, during pregnancy, or after birth.

Nearly two-thirds of women with postpartum depression have another mental health condition.

A positive depression screen in new mothers is reason for further assessment, not a diagnosis.

While we commonly think of postpartum depression when we think about maternal mental health, there is much more to the story. A seminal study of 10,000 mothers who recently gave birth offers a more complicated, but useful, picture of maternal mental health. Researchers found that among women who screened positive for depression in the postpartum period and then completed a comprehensive diagnostic assessment, their mental health experiences varied considerably. Some women's current psychiatric episodes began after birth, while others began during pregnancy or even before.

In other words, women experiencing postpartum mental health difficulties do not all have the same diagnosis, symptom presentation, or symptom onset. Understanding these differences gives us a more........

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