Hyderabad: A mother of a four-month-old baby committed suicide on Thursday morning by jumping off the ninth floor of her office in Madhapur. M. Sravani, 28, hailed from Chittoor and had given birth to a boy four months back said B. Ravi Kumar, Sub-Inspector of Madhapur police station.
Sravani was working at Prime Era Medical Technology. Her husband, Ramakrishna, a chemical analyst and she got married two years ago and stay at Madinaguda, Miyapur.
“Sravani had complained of sinus and headache immediately after her delivery. She was undergoing treatment for the same at various hospitals but did not get any relief. She complained of no progress in her health to her husband Ramakrishna and her mother. On Thursday she went to her office, located at Melange Tower in Madhapur and headed to the balcony at around 10 am. She jumped off the building from the ninth floor of her office and died on the spot,” said the official.
Sravani visited doctors on Wednesday as well. She went to the balcony and tried to climb over the parapet first, but in vain. She then used a bench to get on the parapet frame and jumped to her death. She fell head first onto the ground. Swathi Kondareddy, her sister-in-law however said that Sravani developed post delivery depression and had mood swings.
“Sravani had postpartum depression, about which the doctors told us. She was happy most of the times about her baby but at times she would say negative things like ending her life,” told Swathi.
Echoing Swathi’s words, Pavan Kumar, her elder brother said that she was having some mental issues after her delivery. The body has been shifted to Osmania mortuary for postmortem and Madhapur police have registered a case.
Post partum depression not new: psychologists
Sravani’s family said that she was suffering from postpartum depression (PPD), or postnatal depression. This is associated with childbirth and causes mood swings in new mothers.
Priyanka Padhi, a clinical psychologist says that PPD is a mental health illness that affects women after delivery. Usually one in five women in India are affected by it. It is common to feel baby blues for a few weeks after delivery. “But in Postpartum depression, loneliness, worthlessness, restlessness, hopelessness and mood swings last much longer,” she said.
Pavan Kumar, her elder brother said that she said “I want to die” and her behaviour changed post delivery. Swathi Kondareddy, her sister-in-law added that Ramakrishna, her husband had resigned from his job to devote time to her. Speaking to DC, Priyanka said, “It is important to have a supportive family. Some are also given antidepressants by psychiatrists.”
