BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION: AN INTEGRATIVE HOMOEOPATHIC REVIEW

Abstract

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a common, serious mood disorder arising within one year of childbirth that adversely affects mothers, infants, and families. Its prevalence is estimated at roughly 10–20% globally, with onset typically in the first few months of postpartum. The etiology is multifactorial, involving rapid hormonal withdrawal (e.g. estrogen, progesterone) after delivery, dysregulated neurosteroid (allopregnanolone) and GABA-A signaling, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis changes, and psychosocial stressors. Clinically, PPD can impair mother–infant bonding and increase maternal suicide risk. Management combines psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy (e.g. SSRIs or the neurosteroid brexanolone). Homoeopathically, PPD is approached constitutionally remedies are selected based on the individual emotional approch. This review integrates current biomedical knowledge with classical homoeopathic understanding, highlighting diagnosis, conventional care, and homoeopathic case-taking and remedy selection for PPD.