A new study says that postpartum depression affects 30 per cent of new mothers, and most suffer in silence.

Dr. Nicole Letourneau and Linda Duffett-Leger of the University of New Brunswick released their findings at a conference on Thursday. The year-long research involved interviews with 42 mothers and 32 health-care workers in Alberta and New Brunswick.

Postpartum depression is believed to be triggered by biological changes and hormone imbalances following childbirth. It goes far beyond "the blues", with symptoms including anxiety, exhaustion, confusion, guilt, feelings of failure and fear. Letourneau and Duffet-Leger said extreme cases can be dangerous not only to the mother, but to the family as well.

In a recent Toronto case, Andrea Labbe killed her husband Brian Langer, daughter Zoe, 3, and then attempted to kill Brigitte, 2, before turning the knife on herself.

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    • But despite the considerable number of mothers with the disorder, many women do not seek help.

    "We found that even when services are available, as in a resource-rich environment like Alberta, about 50 per cent of mothers wouldn't access the services," Letourneau said. "There's a lack of public awareness."

    Letourneau said that when researchers interviewed mothers in New Brunswick, they found them to be far more depressed than those in Alberta. Lack of resources and social stigma attached to the problem were cited for the difference.

    "In Alberta...everybody goes in, they get their baby's immunizations done and they get screened for postpartum depression. It's simply recognized as an important thing the nurses should be looking for," Letourneau said.

    It also doesn't help when a major actor like Tom Cruise dismisses the problem, saying mothers need more vitamins and exercise. Cruise publicly criticized actor Brooke Shields' book about her struggles following the birth of her first child.

    The findings, released at a postpartum conference underway in Fredericton, include calls for improved public awareness and more community support.

    "Many women mask the symptoms themselves," said Duffett-Leger. "They don't want to be seen as a bad mother who can't cope. They're ashamed and afraid."