Peripartum depression (PPD) is an episode of depression that begins either during pregnancy or following delivery. The technical psychiatric term for PPD in American psychiatry, per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), is a depressive episode “with peripartum onset”, i.e., one which began during pregnancy (antepartum) or within 4 weeks of delivery (post-partum). The depressive episode may be an episode of major depression, of dysthymia, or of unspecified depressive disorder.[1] However, other definitions of PPD allow for onset up to one year following delivery.[2] Roughly 1 in 10 to 1 in 5 new birthing parents experience PPD, with higher rates in adolescents.[3][4] Globally, the number may be closer to 1 in 4.[2] It’s also possible for a non-birthing parent (such as a father) to experience PPD.[5][6] PPD is different from the “baby blues,” which are a normal occurrence that affects the majority of new birthing parents.
What is peripartum depression?
Written by:
Fact-checked
by:
•Last Updated: May 16, 2025
Peripartum depression (PPD) is a depressive episode that begins during pregnancy or within 4 weeks after delivery and affects approximately 1 in 10 to 1 in 5 new birthing parents, with higher rates in adolescents. It can also occur in nonbirthing parents and is distinct from the more common "baby blues."