Registered Psychologist Michael Jimenez delivered a lecture on Mental Health Awareness and Depression among Nurses in a Seminar on Reproductive Health and how it is related to Mental Health.
Jimenez talked about what the World Health Organization has stated about maternal mental health.
Worldwide about 10% of pregnant women and 13% of women who have just given birth experience a mental disorder, primarily depression. In developing countries this is even higher, i.e. 15.6% during pregnancy and 19.8% after child birth. In severe cases mothers’ suffering might be so severe that they may even commit suicide.
Hence, it is important to know the signs and symptoms of depression, how to identify it and manage it. Jimenez stated the importance of identifying the need to seek professional help especially when one of the following three criteria has been determined in the individual : (1) signs and symptoms affect the daily life of the individual (2) harm to self (3) harm to others.
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