Research Paper

Beth Van De Velde

Professor Pujols

ENG 102

October 29, 2020

Post-Partum Depression: A Deeper Dive

The broad area of interest for my paper is Post-Partum Depression, something I am very passionate about. My entire adult life has been largely dedicated to being a mother as my daughter was born when I was 19 years old. I struggled greatly with PPD and kept so much of it to myself because I felt ashamed, embarrassed, and as if there were something wrong with me because being a mother wasn’t this joyous occasion that brought me immediate happiness. The topic is relevant, as I have aged and more of my friends became mothers, and I met other mothers, I realized I was not alone and they too felt as though their feelings were taboo. My topic will be interesting to other women like me, people trying to understand birth and first year of life, and people looking to be empathetic towards other people suffering from PPD.

Main question:

What, if any, are the effects of postpartum depression on child development?

Sub-questions:

What are the general symptoms of PPD, are there any precursors, causes, or preventative measures to be taken to avoid PPD?

Do children of women that suffered from PPD struggle with depression of their own?

Are there any behavioral issues with children that have mothers with PPD?

Is there any research that shows PPD is hereditary?

There is not any general answers for my topic on Google, in fact there is a plethora of information I will break my brain sorting through. I do feel I can trust most of the sources I have found as a lot of them are studies conducted on women who have/have had PPD and their children. At this point I don’t think I have any questions about the research process, but more about how much information I should narrow this down to. With women’s studies growing more and more prevalent, I am having a hard time taking all of the information and funneling it through the filter of what really matters. How can I take all this, be informative, and not redundant all at the same time?