Postpartum Depression: Deconstructing the Label Through a Social Constructionist Lens

Abstract

There is an increasingly widespread utilization of the term postpartum depression (PPD) to describe the emotional and mental turbulence that occurs after childbirth in western society. This paper seeks to analyze the emergence of the label PPD through the application of a social constructionist perspective, to compare lay interpretations with professional explanations, and to situate varied interpretations within a broader social, political and economic context. In doing so, the paper seeks answers to the following questions: (i) how did the label PPD emerge? and (ii) how is it changing now? The processes involved in the social construction of PPD pertaining to the social discovery of PPD, diagnosis and experience of illness, and treatment and outcomes are described and analyzed.

The findings reveal that the definitions, explanations and ever-changing constructions of PPD extend beyond biomedical criteria and involve historical, social, cultural and structural dimensions. The varied meanings and interpretations of PPD also reveal the embeddedness of race, class, ethnicity, and gender as they intersect with biomedical perspectives in the construction of PPD. PPD is an objective medical condition for some, while for others it is a social problem rooted in socioeconomic disadvantages, gender inequality and cultural ideals regarding motherhood. The label PPD precludes adherence to a particular intervention and requires social work practitioners to demonstrate flexibility and creativity in dealing with clients. Implications for social work practice, particularly a need to recognize how the disorder known as PPD is socially constructed in the western world, are provided to deal with the multiple realities embedded in the label PPD.

KEYWORDS:

• postpartum depression
• social construction
• labelling
• mental illness
• motherhood