Which symptom would most strongly indicate postpartum depression rather than blues?

Which symptom would most strongly indicate postpartum depression rather than blues?

• A. Persistent hopelessness and inability to enjoy activities
• B. Mild mood swings that resolve quickly
• C. Mild sadness with normal energy
• D. Intermittent irritability

Answer: (A)

The key idea is distinguishing postpartum depression from the typical baby blues by looking at how long the mood symptoms last and how they affect functioning. Baby blues are common, brief mood changes that start shortly after birth and usually improve within one to two weeks. Postpartum depression, in contrast, involves more severe symptoms that persist for at least two weeks and interfere with daily life, such as a deep sense of hopelessness and a loss of interest or pleasure in activities.

Persistent hopelessness and an inability to enjoy activities strongly indicate depression because they reflect ongoing low mood and anhedonia, core features of depressive disorders, not just a transient mood fluctuation. The other symptoms—mild mood swings that resolve quickly, mild sadness with normal energy, or intermittent irritability—are more characteristic of the baby blues when they are brief and do not impair functioning.