PERSPECTIVE article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Mental Health
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1636310
This article is part of the Research TopicPublic Health Innovations for Enhancing Newborn and Maternal Well-BeingView all articles
Recognizing Distinctiveness of Perinatal Depression from Depression in Non-Perinatal Population: An Urgent Call for Action
Provisionally accepted
- Alliance University, Bangalore, India
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Background: Perinatal Depression (PND), though recognized as a public health issue in certain countries, largely remains an obscured part of healthcare systems, especially in low-middleincome countries (LMICs), which is in turn associated with multitudinal consequences.Underscoring the uniqueness of PND can facilitate change in policymaking.Aim: To highlight the distinctiveness of PND from depression found in the non-perinatal population.Method: A doctoral study was conducted in India to analyze the efficacy of existing Indian health laws and policies in addressing and managing PND, and its implications for women's rights in the country. From the findings of the study, narrative synthesis was conducted, following an inductive approach to detail and explain the multidimensional distinctiveness of PND from depression found in the non-perinatal population.Results: Based on various factors, including diverse etiology, the significance of pharmacotherapy treatment guidelines, timing of delivery of health interventions, gender-based health needs, and intergenerational transfer of equity, PND's uniqueness must be reflected within the health laws and policies.PMDs, including PND, should be regarded as an ethical and moral issue apart from the violation of human rights principles in the existing SDG era.
Keywords: Perinatal depression, Perinatal mental health, health policies, Uniqueness, Depression
Received: 27 May 2025; Accepted: 08 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Behl. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Ritika Behl, Alliance University, Bangalore, India
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