Postpartum Psychiatric Problems

The present volume deals with the illness nowadays known as Postpartum Depression (PPD). The book was written by Dr. James Alexander Hamilton, a California psychiatrist who in 1980 founded the Marcé Society; its aim was to bring together psychiatrists, endocrinologists and social scientists to foster communication about PPD, which directly aligned with Dr. Hamilton’s goal, since 1955, to encourage physicians in the United States to better understand PPD in order to help victims of the illness.

“Psychiatric illness which develops after childbirth is one of the most challenging problems of modern medicine. It usually occurs acutely and unexpectedly from a state of apparent good health. The patient is disabled at precisely the moment when her responsibilities and her capacity for enjoyment of life are greatest. Successful treatment of this kind of illness is most rewarding.

“This book represents a collection and integration of widely scattered information which bears on the diagnosis and treatment of postpartum psychiatric problems. Some of this information relates to neglected physiological factors in these problems.”—Dr. James Alexander Hamilton