Poverty and Postpartum Depression

When I first read “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, I thought the main character was quite odd. I can’t say that I was surprised when I found out the woman in the story suffered from postpartum depression. Postpartum depression was first recognized as a disorder in 1850. Like the woman in her story, Gilman suffered from the disorder as well. After reading “The Yellow Wallpaper” and Gilman’s biography, I wonder if she was destined to suffer from the disorder due to the events in her life. “The Yellow Wallpaper” provoked me to question if there is a correlation between poverty and postpartum depression.

It is estimated that 15-20% of women who give birth will be affected by postpartum depression.  Charlotte Perkins Gilman sunk into the depression after giving birth to her daughter. Though it is a serious condition, with proper treatment, women can fully recover from the disorder. Unfortunately for Gilman and other women in the late 1800’s, postpartum was treated with the “rest cure”. The rest cure was a method used for nervous disorders that prohibited any type of physical activity or stimulation. Today, the disorder is often treated with medication and counseling. It is said that postpartum is caused by hormonal changes in women. According to the Bronfenbenner ecology theory, a woman’s lifestyle must be taken into account when evaluating the disorder. This theory implies that the culture, community, workplace, family, and society needs to be evaluated as a possible cause or contribution leading to postpartum depression.

[ http://www.itsamomsworld.com/moms_room_health_postpartum_depression.html ]

Charlotte Perkins Gilman was born into poverty. She was abandoned by her father at a young age. She received a poor education, and vowed to never marry. According to a new study, more than 50% of women of low-income show signs of depression between two weeks and fourteen months after having a child. Poverty affects people lives in several ways. People living in poverty are more likely to suffer from depression. The constant worry of housing,money, food, and a proper education for their family can lead to very stressful lives. Women who live in poverty are already at risk for depression prior to pregnancy. The likelihood of postpartum depression increases after they conceive.

[ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2010/08/26/AR2010082600027.htl ]

[ http://www.futurity.org/health-medicine/poverty-raises-risk-of-postpartum-depression/ ]

Charlotte Perkins Gilman was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of seventy-two. She committed suicide three years later.