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‘Baby blues’ believed to be cause of Cilacap mother's suicide
The women suffered from postpartum depression after giving birth to her second child.
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Many believe that childbirth brings only joy, overlooking that mothers who have recently given birth can also suffer from fear and depression triggered by the experience. (Shutterstock/-)
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uthorities and relatives of a 32-year-old mother, identified as SP, who reportedly took her own life by jumping off a bridge with her toddler son above the Serayu River in Cilacap regency, Central Java, have said postpartum depression may have been the reason behind the suicide.
On Saturday afternoon, personnel from the Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) found the body of the woman who reportedly jumped from a bridge. The agency previously received reports from locals about the alleged suicide.
“The body bears a resemblance to the woman who reportedly jumped off the bridge with her son,” an officer with the Cilacap chapter of Basarnas, Fajar Adi Nugroho, said on Saturday, as quoted by kompas.com.
As of Saturday, authorities had yet to find the body of the toddler. Fajar added that the search and rescue personnel had continued the operation to locate and recover the child’s body.
Kesugihan Police chief Adj. Comr. Gunung Krido Wahono said SP had allegedly committed suicide due to postpartum depression, according to a statement from a doctor from the Maos community health center.
SP’s parent, Kustiono, 60, echoed the police’s statement, saying the woman had suffered from postpartum depression after giving birth to her second child and having difficulty breastfeeding her child.
“She had received treatment. In the last two or three months, she could breastfeed her child. Previously, she was reluctant to be near her child,” he said.
Kustiono account was echoed by Ikhsan Juwadi, the head of the neighborhood unit where SP lived.
“After giving birth to her second child, she rarely left her home and met with other residents. She looked confused whenever others spoke to her.”
The number of diagnosed cases of postnatal depression remains the tip of an iceberg in Indonesia, as it is often not considered a serious mental health condition. Many believe that childbirth brings only joy, overlooking that mothers who have recently given birth can also suffer from fear and depression triggered by the experience. (kuk)
There are several consultation services that can help people overcome their depression. For more information, contact the following foundations:
Into The Light
Facebook: IntoTheLightID
Twitter: @IntoTheLightID
Email: intothelight.email@gmail.com
Web: intothelightid.wordpress.com
Save Yourselves
Facebook: Save Yourselves
Instagram: @saveyourselves.id
Line: @vol7047h
Web: saveyourselves.org
