For the estimated one in five women confined to bed rest during pregnancy, it means being cut off from the outside world, staring at the same four walls, sometimes for months. While approximately 15 to 20 percent of women experience depression during pregnancy, is it any wonder that those on bed rest are perhaps the most vulnerable to depression?

Clinical psychologist Dr. Shoshana Bennett, the president/founder of Postpartum Assistance for Mothers, believes the increased risk is often a combination of physiological, psychological and emotional factors.

"Women who were previously active, energetic, productive human beings who are suddenly thrust into relative or complete inactivity with bed rest often experience depression," says Dr. Bennett, author of several books on prenatal and postpartum depression including Pregnant on Prozac (Globe Pequot Press, 2009). "They suddenly feel unproductive, vulnerable and dependent. If they have children already, often they are not able to participate in the care of their kids the way everyone is accustomed, and this may lead to frustration and tension if the family doesn't receive the proper help."

"In my practice I notice that women who previously have associated their self-worth with their productivity – the tasks they accomplish – seem to be at high risk for developing bed rest depression," says Dr. Bennett. "In addition, those women with a personal and/or family history of depression are at higher risk for prenatal depression in general."

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