This research addresses a widespread and serious issue that until recently has received relatively little attention, which is the high rate of depression among new mothers, which results from a combination of hormonal changes, lack of sleep, isolation and loss of social status after a child is born. While severe cases of postpartum depression have begun to receive more notice recently, less severe (but still personally devastating) cases of less severe postpartum depression are still often not treated as being worth treatment because they tend to be temporary. This research is based on the assumption that such depression (even if temporary) can have serious consequences for maternal-infant bonding or attachment
