Postpartum depression is a mood disorder that occurs after childbirth and is associated with hormonal imbalance. Which option best reflects this description?

• A. A mood disorder that occurs during pregnancy only.
• B. A mood disorder with anxiety without hormonal involvement.
• C. A mood disorder with sadness and loss of pleasure shortly after birth due to hormonal imbalance.
• D. A mood disorder that resolves immediately after delivery.

Answer: (C)

Postpartum depression involves mood changes that begin after childbirth and are linked to the hormonal shifts that occur after delivery. The best option describes a mood disorder with sadness and loss of pleasure that starts soon after birth and is due to hormonal imbalance, which fits both the timing and the biological factor involved in postpartum mood changes.

Why this fits: postpartum mood disturbance typically emerges after delivery, not during pregnancy, and the hormonal fluctuations after birth are thought to contribute to the symptoms of sadness and anhedonia. The description that ties these symptoms to hormonal imbalance aligns with how postpartum depression is understood clinically.

Why other ideas don’t fit: a mood disorder occurring only during pregnancy would be antenatal depression, not postpartum. a mood disorder with anxiety but no hormonal involvement ignores the hormonal changes central to postpartum mood shifts. a condition that resolves immediately after delivery contradicts the typical course of postpartum depression, which often persists for weeks to months.