A Medico-Sociological Study on Postpartum Depression: Wedum Gei Sanniya

Abstract

Postpartum depression is a medical condition faced by some mothers during pregnancy, influenced by cultural values and norms in the Asian Sri Lankan context. This research aimed to investigate the medical and sociological aspects of the healthcare system and treatment conditions for postpartum depression. A sample of 25 respondents, including 20 people from rural and urban areas, was selected for the study. Data analysis was conducted using 20 in-depth interviews and 5 semi-structured interviews. The study found a clear difference between traditional treatment methods in the western medical system and traditional methods in Sri Lankan rural society. About 40% of the sample resorted to treatment in the rural knowledge system, while the remaining 60% relied solely on western medicine. In rural Sri Lankan society, postpartum depression is analyzed through supernatural forces and interpersonal relationships, with chemical methods being used for remedies. However, postpartum depression in urban society tends to shift away from indigenous wisdom-based cultural healing systems and towards Western medical treatments. The research findings suggest that while Western medicine is used in environments affected by modernization and urbanization, alternative medicine is still used in rural areas. The power of the Western medicine system in Sri Lanka should be examined, as it may continue to be based on modernity and urbanization.