A Deeper Shade of Blue - by Ruta Nonacs (Paperback)

About the Book

This accessible guide discusses the causes and treatments of depression during a woman's childbearing years. Using medical expertise and illuminating case studies, Nonacs explores the psychological changes a woman may experience as she becomes a mother.

Book Synopsis

Depression affects women almost twice as often as men, with about one in four women suffering from it at some point in her lifetime. While depression may strike at any time, studies show that women appear to be particularly vulnerable during their childbearing years. This comprehensive and empathetic book confronts the seldom-talked-about issue of pregnancy-related depression, identifying symptoms, treatments, and cures for this constellation of serious, underdiagnosed, and surprisingly common emotional conditions.

Topics covered include the emotional repercussions of infertility and miscarriage, depression during pregnancy, postpartum depression and anxiety, and the impact of maternal depression on spouse and family. Also addressed are the many aspects of a woman's life -- career, education, marriage, and a host of other factors -- that may increase her stress during the span of her childbearing years and make her especially susceptible to emotional difficulties.

Straightforward, honest, and sensitive, A Deeper Shade of Blue speaks directly to women at risk of or suffering from depression within the context of childbearing and provides the information they need to get the best care, during pregnancy and beyond.

Review Quotes

"A Deeper Shade of Blue takes great steps to provide us with a clear road map to a more complete understanding of depression during the childbearing years...Failure to recognize and treat [this] depression...cannot be an option."
-- from the Foreword by Lee S. Cohen, M.D.

"This book is unique because it discusses depression within the context of women's health needs, but it will be useful for anyone seeking in-depth information about the disease. Highly recommended."
-- Library Journal

"Timely and critical. A lot has been written about postpartum depression -- but very little about depression pertaining to the entire process of childbearing and rearing. Dr. Nonacs has done a fantastic job of illuminating and elucidating this condition, in prose that is at once authoritative and empathic. I am thankful for her book in particular and her work in general."
-- Lauren Slater, author of Opening Skinner's Box: Great Psychological Experiments of the Twentieth Century

About the Author

Dr. Ruta Nonacs, M.D., Ph.D., is the associate director of the Center for Women's Mental Health at Massachusetts General Hospital and an instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School