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New expat mothers in UAE hit by lack of family support
| Published: | 31 Mar at 6 PM |
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Doctors in the United Arab Emirates are advising expat families to give full support to new mothers in order to avoid the risks of post-natal depression. One in ten of new mothers suffer from post-natal depression, with expat families in the UAE being advised to keep a watchful eye out for the symptoms.
The biological changes which take place during and immediately after the birth combined with other undiagnosed risk factors such as the stress of expat life in an unfamiliar location can make the onset of post-natal depression a real risk. According to consultant psychologist Dr Yousuf Abouallaban, where there is too little support for new mothers due to the husband’s work pressures or the demands of other children in the family, depression can strike soon after the birth of a new baby.
Dr Abouallaban, a consultant at Abu Dhabi’s American centre for Psychology and Nuerology, was speaking at the recent Obs/Gyn Conference and Exhibition aimed at women’s health professionals. The risk of post-partum depression, he told the media, is heightened if the husband is unsupportive and unaware of the changes in his wife resulting form the birth, adding that most women fail to seek professional help.
Without immediate treatment, he said, new mothers may fail to bond with their babies and relationships with the rest of the family can deteriorate. One major problem for expat families is that treatment for depression is unlikely to be covered by employers’ health insurance packages provided to expat professionals, and many mothers don't seek help as they feel they are failing in their maternal duty and may be stigmatised by their friends.
The biological changes which take place during and immediately after the birth combined with other undiagnosed risk factors such as the stress of expat life in an unfamiliar location can make the onset of post-natal depression a real risk. According to consultant psychologist Dr Yousuf Abouallaban, where there is too little support for new mothers due to the husband’s work pressures or the demands of other children in the family, depression can strike soon after the birth of a new baby.
Dr Abouallaban, a consultant at Abu Dhabi’s American centre for Psychology and Nuerology, was speaking at the recent Obs/Gyn Conference and Exhibition aimed at women’s health professionals. The risk of post-partum depression, he told the media, is heightened if the husband is unsupportive and unaware of the changes in his wife resulting form the birth, adding that most women fail to seek professional help.
Without immediate treatment, he said, new mothers may fail to bond with their babies and relationships with the rest of the family can deteriorate. One major problem for expat families is that treatment for depression is unlikely to be covered by employers’ health insurance packages provided to expat professionals, and many mothers don't seek help as they feel they are failing in their maternal duty and may be stigmatised by their friends.
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