Dr. Isaac Newman Arthur
The joy of welcoming a new baby is often described as boundless, a beautiful journey into motherhood filled with tender moments and overwhelming love. Here in Ghana, our culture celebrates new life with warmth and community, often showering new mothers with attention and support. Yet, for many women, the reality can be a secret struggle, a shadow cast over what should be one of life’s happiest moments. This struggle is Postpartum Depression (PPD), a serious condition far more complex than just “baby blues.”
For Irene, the journey was difficult long before her baby arrived. An unplanned pregnancy shattered her dreams, and she struggled with the intense stigma that came with it. The joy of holding her baby was overshadowed by an unshakable sadness. “I felt disconnected from my child and even myself,” she recalls. Her days were filled with tears, sleepless nights, and a constant fear that she wasn’t a good-enough mother. “Everyone expected me to be happy, but inside I felt empty,” she adds. Irene’s experience is not unique; it’s a silent pain shared by many mothers across Ghana, one that is often misunderstood and misdiagnosed.
More Than Just “Baby Blues”
To understand this pain, we must first distinguish it from the normal “baby blues.” Postpartum depression is a major depressive illness that typically starts within four weeks of childbirth and can last for up to a year. According to Dr. Isaac Newman Arthur, Medical Director and Clinical Psychologist, University of Professional Studies Accra, and P.R.O. Ghana Psychological Association, “It is one of the most severe mental illnesses that follows pregnancy.”
PPD is characterised by severe symptoms, including profound sadness, a complete loss of interest and energy, feelings of hopelessness, and impaired sleep. In serious cases, mothers may even have suicidal thoughts or attempts. Dr. Arthur cautions that PPD is “very, very serious. It impacts the mother’s ability to take care of the child, and sometimes they may end up abandoning their babies, not being able to breastfeed, or in tragic cases, harming their child.”
This is different from the “baby blues,” which are milder feelings of sadness or being overwhelmed. Dr. Arthur explains that “baby blues will last a few days to a week and usually subsides on its own,” as a mother’s body adjusts to hormonal changes.
The Risk Factors: It’s Not a Choice
According to Dr. Arthur, the causes of PPD vary, stemming from both biological and environmental risk factors. Biologically, some women may have a genetic predisposition, while others are affected by neurochemical and hormonal changes in the brain after delivery. PPD is also more likely to occur after a difficult pregnancy or birth, such as those with complications like gestational diabetes, hypertension, or infections.
Environmental factors also play a critical role. A lack of social support from a partner or family is a major contributor. “When there is no proper social support from the husband or the one responsible for the pregnancy, it actually puts the mothers into all kinds of emotional and physical stress,” Dr. Arthur states. He adds that a lack of paternity leave for fathers and societal pressures on women to handle motherhood alone further exacerbate the issue.
The Stigma: A Barrier to Healing
A key challenge in Ghana is the lack of understanding around PPD. “Most families do not know what postpartum depression is,” says Rita Kekeli, a midwife at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. This lack of awareness often leads to harmful responses when a mother seems emotionally unwell.
This ignorance often feeds a pervasive and dangerous misconception. As Rita Kekeli points out, “Postpartum depression has been linked to spirituality due to its onset and how the victims behave… This is a wrong thought, and the victims need to be attended to immediately.”
Dr. Arthur echoes this, highlighting how cultural beliefs can make it difficult to accept that pregnancy can lead to serious health problems. The idea that “pregnancy is just a norm” and that mothers should not complain creates a culture where women’s pain is dismissed, leaving them to suffer in silence.
A Look at Support and Existing Gaps
Postnatal care in Ghana often focuses on physical recovery, with little attention to a mother’s mental health. “New mothers do receive medical support,” Rita Kekeli observes, “but on the emotional and social side, there are shortcomings.” The absence of routine mental health screenings and accessible, affordable, and destigmatised professional services remains a significant gap.
While awareness is growing, Ghana still lacks a dedicated national policy to address maternal mental health. The Ministry of Health, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), is working to integrate mental health services into routine maternal care, but progress is slow. Non-governmental organizations like BasicNeeds-Ghana have taken positive steps by training health workers to screen for PPD, but these programs have faced sustainability issues after initial funding ended, leaving many mothers without follow-up care.
Our Collective Role in Support
So, what can we do to better support women emotionally after childbirth? Dr. Arthur and Rita Kekeli agree that “everyone needs to play their role.”
As a society, we must break the silence and dismantle the stigma through public awareness campaigns and open conversations. Families are vital; they need to be educated about PPD and offer unconditional emotional support. As health workers, we must integrate mental health screenings into routine postnatal care and train midwives to identify symptoms.
Dr. Arthur suggests that extending maternity leave to six months and creating paternity leave would also provide crucial support. “We should also see to important discussions on maternal health and things like postpartum depression,” he adds.
Welcoming a new baby is a transformative experience, but it’s time we ensure this journey is not marred by the silent suffering of postpartum depression. By fostering understanding, extending compassionate support, and championing accessible care, we can illuminate the path to healing for every new mother in Ghana, allowing them to embrace the full joy of motherhood, beyond the blues.
BY Josephine Kodzoyi