Study: 21% New Mothers suffering from Postpartum Disorders keeps her Symptoms a Secret

According to new research of North Carolina State University, about 21% of new mothers experiencing postpartum mood disorders like depression and anxiety don't tell their doctors about their symptoms.

In a survey of recent moms

, conducted by the school, researchers asked women if they were feeling any signs or symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PPMD) and if they were telling their doctor about them.

"Our study finds that many women who would benefit from treatment are not receiving it, because they don't tell anyone that they're dealing with any challenges," lead author of the study Betty-Shannon Prevatt told Science Daily. "We know that 10-20 percent of women experience significant mood disorders after childbirth, and those disorders can adversely affect the physical and emotional well-being of both mothers and children."

The survey showed that out of the 211 women polled, 51% of them met the PPMD criteria but only slightly more than one in five of those mothers were telling their healthcare providers — someone like a lactation consultant, nurse or a doctor — how they were feeling.

"To place this in context, there are national guidelines in place telling health care providers to ask women about PPMD symptoms after childbirth," co-author of the study, Sarah Desmarais, said. "With so many women in our study not disclosing PPMDs to their providers, it strongly suggests that a significant percentage of these women did not disclose their symptoms even when asked."

Fortunately, the study saw that women who reported having exceedingly severe PPMD symptoms, as well as women with strong friendships and relationships, were more likely to tell someone.

"This work highlights the importance of support networks and the need to normalize the wide variety of reactions women have after childbirth," Prevatt said. "We need to make it OK for women to talk about their mental health, so that they can have better access to care."

"We don't just need to teach women how to develop a birth plan, we need to teach them how to develop a social support plan," Desmarais said.