Shedding Light on Postpartum Psychosis: Representation and Stigma in Literature

Abstract

The focus of this discussion is on how postpartum psychosis has been depicted in literature. Postpartum psychosis is a mental health disorder that can affect women after childbirth, causing symptoms such as confusion, delusions, and hallucinations. Literature has often used this condition as a theme or plot device in various works. Literary works especially “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin, “Ariel” by Sylvia Plath, and “The Hand That First Held Mine” by Maggie O’Farrell depicts this vividly. The depiction of postpartum psychosis in literature can raise awareness and understanding of this disorder, which can have significant effects on those who experience it.