Postpartum Psychoses and Drugs
July 3 -- In the wake of the Texas tragedy in which Andrea Yates allegedly drowned all five of her young children, many are left wondering what happened to this woman and her family.
Yates' husband, Russell, said his wife had been suffering from postpartum depression, and had previously taken several types of antidepressant medications including Effexor, Remeron, and Wellbutrin.
He also said his wife had been on the drug Haldol, a powerful anti-psychotic medication used primarily for treating schizophrenics. It remains unclear whether she was on the drug at the time of the killings.
Either way, Haldol indicates Yates may have been suffering from a much more serious disorder than depression, experts say.
Yates' brother Andrew this week expressed concern that his sister "was taken off medication she should have been on." Although he said he could not go into details, many assume he was referring to Yates' Haldol treatment, since Russell Yates stated his wife had taken the drug in the past. Yates' attorney said he could not confirm whether his client had been taken off the drug.
Different Postpartum Mood Disorders
About 50 percent to 75 percent of all mothers experience a mild form of depression called the "baby blues," which typically comes on within the first few days following childbirth, lasts for several weeks at most, and is marked by crying spells and feelings of sadness, anxiety, and irritability.
Another 5 percent to 10 percent of mothers go through "postpartum depression," characterized by deeper sadness and anxiety, depression, hopelessness, exhaustion, guilt, and a general feeling of being "not yourself." This type of depression ordinarily begins within weeks or months of birth, increases slowly over time, and has a longer duration than the baby blues.
Much less common is "postpartum psychosis," which is suffered by fewer than 1 percent of all mothers. Symptoms for this disorder are similar to other forms of psychosis, including hallucinations, mania, delusions, altered mood, extreme confusion or agitation, paranoia, and disorganized thinking. Postpartum psychosis has a very rapid onset, usually within the first one to three days following childbirth.
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