Washington, DC -- For the first time in its 15-year history, National Depression Screening Day (NDSD) is incorporating screening for postpartum depression in its Mental Health Screening Kits. In an effort to raise awareness about this often overlooked yet serious condition, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is among several health organizations co-sponsoring NDSD on October 6, 2005.

Roughly 10% of new mothers suffer from postpartum depression in the first year after giving birth. While the causes of postpartum depression are not known, research suggests that it may be triggered by the hormonal shifts that occur after delivery and is greatly exacerbated by the stress of a major life change. It is commonly undiagnosed and can provide a significant health risk to both mother and baby if untreated.

Postpartum depression is different from the more common baby blues, which affects between 70-80% of women. Postpartum depression is more intense and must be present for at least two weeks to distinguish it from the baby blues. It usually begins within the first few weeks after the baby is born, although it can begin any time after a woman delivers. A woman is at risk of developing postpartum depression after each birth, no matter the number of children she has had.

Typically, symptoms include deep sadness, irritability, apathy or heightened anxiety, poor appetite, an inability to sleep, crying spells, and difficulty concentrating. If a woman has a personal or family history of depression, she may be at higher risk for postpartum depression. Women who have suffered from postpartum depression in the past have a heightened risk of recurrence, from about one-in-three to one-in-four. If left untreated, postpartum depression can last for up to a year and a half or longer—and, unlike the baby blues, it usually requires counseling and treatment.

"Feeling sad after delivering a healthy baby doesn't mean that you are a failure as a mother," says Paul A. Gluck, MD, chair of ACOG's Florida Section, which implemented the Depression Screening Project in 2000 as a way to both educate ob-gyns about depression screening and help them incorporate depression screening into their daily practice. "New moms need to know that postpartum depression is not a character flaw but a chemical imbalance. Postpartum depression is a real illness that responds well to treatment," adds Dr. Gluck.

Nearly 1,000 ACOG Fellows have joined with some 7,000 additional community health organizations and primary care providers volunteering to serve as community screening sites. There is still a need for more testing sites in the West and Midwest regions and in parts of the country affected by Hurricane Katrina. Interested Fellows can register to host a screening site on October 6 by visiting http://mentalhealthscreening.org/events/ndsd/index.aspx. Those unable to participate in October can register to hold a screening at a later date as part of NDSD's yearlong Mental Health Screening initiative.

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