fully resolve the mother’s PPD and accompanying complica-
tions.8 It is also important for mental health providers to engage
women’s partners, as improving a mother’s mental health also
improves her partner’s mental health. The optimal treatment
for PPD should, therefore, be interdisciplinary, holistic, and
family-centered in its approach. It should include education
about the disorder, treatment options, and promotion of behav-
iors that improve mental and overall health, including adequate
sleep, good nutrition, exercise, and limiting or avoiding alcohol
and caffeine. Families may want to consider hiring household
help, lengthening the time of maternity leave, or decreasing
work hours if their budgets allow for it (although some wom-
en might find so much increased time alone with their infants
isolating). Most importantly, treatment should be individual-
ized for each woman and her family according to their circum-
stances. PPD creates problems for children from 1-18 years
old and has a negative influence on the father’s mental health,
which emphasizes the need for a family perspective in treat-
ment options.8 Physicians should assess the mother’s level of
emotional support, involve her family members with information and referrals, add to and enhance her social support system,
and help the woman feel more connected with those who care
about her. This will in turn decrease her level of bewilderment
and helplessness and assist in the journey that is her recovery
from PPD.