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A Hormonal Component to Postnatal Depression

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Brian Harris
Brian Harris*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff
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Extract

Disorders of the thyroid gland are associated with disorders of mood (Thomas et al, 1970; Van Uitert & Russakoff, 1979; Folks, 1984; Young, 1984; Jadresic, 1990). Both hypothyroid and hyperthyroid states can be associated with depression, which is sometimes accompanied by psychotic features such as delusions and hallucinations (Wilson & Jefferson, 1986). Similarly, primary affective disorders can be accompanied by changes in thyroid function, with low thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels and elevated thyroxine (T4) (Kirkegaard & Faber, 1980), and in major depressive illness there is often a blunted TSH response to thyrotrophin releasing hormone (TRH) (Prange et al, 1972; Loosen, 1987).

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The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 163 , Issue 3 , September 1993 , pp. 403 - 405
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Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1993 

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