By Kwon Mee-yoo
A family of four was found dead last week. On Monday, the police found the two-year-old son of the family stabbed to death in their apartment and tracked down his parents and three-year-old sister, who had all jumped to their deaths at an apartment construction site, Tuesday.
The police concluded that the cause of this domestic tragedy was the postpartum depression of Jang, 33, the mother of the two children. They found Jang's diary in their house in which she wrote that she was under a great deal of stress because of the unwanted pregnancy and the computer was used to search for acquiring sleeping tablets and briquettes.
Another 24-year-old woman plunged to her death from her apartment, Tuesday, leaving her husband and six-month-old baby behind. The family said she had experienced stress after giving birth and had been planning to seek psychiatric help.
Mothers suffering depression after delivery are becoming a new social problem, which could end up in tragic deaths and the breaking up of families.
Postnatal depression affects about 20 percent of women and even 10 percent of new fathers. This pregnancy-related mood disorder comes from a sudden change in hormone levels after childbirth along with the social and psychological stress of raising a child.
Those who suffer from postpartum depression feel anxiety as they think they cannot take care of the new baby well, resulting in the failure to develop proper affection for the child.
This emotional instability can lead to suicide or murder in the worst cases.
However, experts say that such extreme cases of killing the child or committing suicide are rare; about one out of every 1,000 people. About 50 percent of women experience the baby blues or slight melancholia for two to three weeks after childbirth while the other half do not have any at all.
Psychiatrist Kang Jee-in of the National Health Insurance Corporation Ilsan Hospital said postpartum depression is a spontaneous phenomenon appearing in women after giving birth and they should not be ashamed of it.
"Those who have postpartum depression should reveal their symptoms and deal with the trauma in a positive way. A social atmosphere recognizing the new mothers' depression and the acceptance of it would help them get over the melancholy," Kang said.
The psychiatrist added that the role of the husband is quite important in preventing postnatal depression.
"Husbands should be more concerned about the wife after giving birth and take care of the older children if there are any," she said. "When a father looks after the other child or children, it will provide psychological stability both to the mother and the family as a whole."
Experts say the government needs to pay more attention to the so-called "baby blues" many women experience.
Kim Soo-in of Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital suggested new mothers develop a support network and make friends with people in similar circumstances.
"As most families are nuclear families now, it is hard for other family members to become aware of any depression the new mothers go through," Kim said. "Joining an online community of mothers can be a good idea as they can share their circumstances and understand that she is not the only one suffering such depression."