Dr Alicia Porter, Board member of the South African Society of Psychiatrists

#TheTakeOff |PREGNANCY AWARENESS WEEK 6-9 FEBRUARY 2023   Up to half of expectant mothers in South Africa experience depression during pregnancy and following childbirth that goes undiagnosed and untreated – with risks to their own and their babies’ health and future development. While postnatal depression is well known, depression during pregnancy is almost as common and carries risks of increased complications during pregnancy and childbirth GUEST :Dr Alicia Porter, Board member of the South African Society of Psychiatrists In National Pregnancy Awareness Week from 6 to 9 February, aimed at promoting health during pregnancy and early motherhood, Dr Vythilingum said South Africa’s high rates of poverty and intimate partner violence, together with lack of awareness of mental health, the related stigma and under-resourced mental health services, contributed to the country’s high rates of maternal depression. Between 21% and 47% of South African women experience depression during pregnancy, and 31% to 50% suffer postnatal depression, compared to the global rate of approximately 12% of women experiencing depression during or after pregnancy.