Postpartum Depression Is Preventable

The solution to preventing postpartum depression may lay in the hands of ... nurses, according to a new study. Researchers in the UK found that women who received a visit from a nurse who had been trained to assess and psychologically support new moms were 30% less likely to have become depressed in the six months following childbirth, and the benefit can last for a full 18 months.

"Up until now, it was thought that depression could only be treated when it is picked up by a general practitioner," but a nurse trained "in specific mental health assessment and in psychological approaches based on either cognitive behavioral or listening techniques" can make the difference, says a researcher. Postpartum depression affects 8% to 20% of women, notes LiveScience. (Read more medical study stories.)