Postnatal Depression In Hong Kong: Symptoms, Support & When To Seek Help

Postnatal depression and anxiety is a common maternal health condition. Don’t worry Mama, we’ll help you get through this.

You attended the antenatal classes and practiced prenatal yoga. You prepped the hospital bag and finally decided whether to go public or opt for a private maternity package. Even still, nothing can quite prepare you for how you will feel during postpartum. The “fourth trimester” can be joyful, but it can also feel overwhelming, exhausting and emotionally heavy. For some, those feelings can develop into postnatal depression, and knowing the signs and where to seek support early makes all the difference.

Editor’s Note: This is general advice only. If you are struggling with your mental health please seek personal and professional medical support.

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What Is Postnatal Depression?

To be technical about it, the DSM-5-TR (the official manual that classifies mental health conditions), defines perinatal depression as a major depressive episode that begins during pregnancy, or within four weeks of delivery. In reality, many mental health professionals consider it more broadly as occurring during the first year. It can appear suddenly or gradually, and some days might feel better or worse than others.

A Mama’s perspective: I’d felt off for a while. My pregnancy had brought more anxiety but put it down to hormones and the usual life stressors. Everyone kept telling me I was doing great (ever the perfectionist). Even my closest friends and husband commented how well I was doing, even if that didn’t match my feelings inside. The day I fell apart (for the first time), was a surprisingly good day. My Bub was 12 weeks old and it was weigh-in day with my amazing mid-wife. She asked the simplest of questions, “How are you?” and when I started talking about my baby’s sleep and feeding she stopped me. “Not your baby, how are YOU going?” It was like I was being seen as a seperate entity for the first time since before I’d become pregnant.

Read More: Your Ultimate Guide To Postnatal Recovery In Hong Kong

Common Symptoms Of Postpartum Depression

Daily ups and downs are completely normal post baby. Everything has changed after all! Postnatal depression goes further and presents in a variety of ways. It could be persistent sadness, anxiety, irritability, difficulty bonding with your baby, feeling overwhelmed, changes in sleep or appetite or losing interest in things you once enjoyed. Some mums also describe feeling numb, disconnected or consumed by guilt, even when everything on the outside appears “fine.”

A Mama’s perspective: Once I stopped crying on my midwife’s shoulder, she asked me to complete the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and afterwards suggested that I book in for a counselling session. It was my first time talking with a therapist and slowly but surely started to put things in perspective. Some days were worse than others, like the first time my partner travelled for work. I was alone with the baby and experienced my first panic attack. My body’s physical response was unlike anything I’ve experienced, and while I know now it is completely normal, at the time, the racing heart and breathing difficulties were terrifying.

Read More: The Fourth Trimester — What To Expect When You’re No Longer Expecting

Baby Blues Vs Postnatal Depression

The “Baby Blues” are a little bit different and extremely common in the first days after giving birth, usually easing within about two weeks. It causes mood swings, tearfulness and feeling emotionally overwhelmed as hormones shift and sleep disappears. Postnatal depression is more intense, lasts longer and begin to affect daily life, relationships and a mother’s ability to cope.

A Mama’s perspective: I don’t think I actually experienced the baby blues. In the early days I actually felt ok, especially after the birth of my second child. However, three weeks postpartum I was hospitalised with severe mastitis. A month or so later I broke my ankle (don’t recommend with a newborn and a toddler). It was 2020 and the height of COVID. Essentially I’d been running on adrenaline and when it finally wore off I crashed, hard. A song came out in 2022, Numb Little Bug. I’m not normally one for emotional expression through music, but its boppy beat is the perfect metaphor for how I masked the chaos going on inside.

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What Causes Postnatal Depression?

There’s rarely one single cause of postnatal depression. Alongside the huge hormonal shifts, sleep deprivation and identity changes that come with caring for a newborn, many families in Hong Kong face additional pressures. Short maternity leave, demanding work cultures, high costs of living and often living far from extended family support networks can leave new mums feeling isolated and overwhelmed. Some women may feel pressure to “bounce back,” follow traditional confinement practices, or appear grateful and coping, even when they’re struggling.

A Mama’s perspective: Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I’d love to say that my PND experience, especially the second time around was situational. The whole world didn’t cope particularly well from 2020 to 2023, and I was no exception. Except that, as my therapist and GP have gone to pains to point out, I did have a few extra challenges thrown my way during the time.

Thanks to a whole lot of therapy in the years since, I’ve also realised that I’ve had mental health struggles my whole life, I just never got help. Life and world events might have been the catalyst, but there is a certain element of underlying ways of thinking that also needed to be explored.

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Treatment Options For Perinatal Mental Health

Your first step should be to reach out to a trusted medical professional to discuss your options. Medical support is available through private GPs, psychologists and psychiatrists, and also through the public Maternal and Child Health Centres. Your doctor will be able to help you decide whether counselling or talk therapy is appropriate, or whether medication might be necessary, while also discussing options for connection with other parents, help with baby care and practical day-to-day advice.

A Mama’s perspective: Sometimes that very first step of seeking help is the hardest. Funnily enough, after my second child I was much more reluctant to seek help, maybe because I was ashamed that it had happened again. I remember breaking down in a doctor’s appointment for my daughter, and the GP very kindly asking me to please schedule an appointment as soon as possible to discuss a mental health plan. Even then, it wasn’t until a year later that I finally opened up and properly listened to what the professionals had to say.

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Hong Kong Maternal Mental Health Support Services And Resources

• MIND Hong Kong – An independent charity providing mental health services and a wealth of mental health resources. It also provides a free, one-time 45 minute well-being check-in to connect you with appropriate services. www.mind.org.hk
• The Mental Health Association of Hong Kong & The T.N. Foo Centre for Positive Mental Health – Most of the Mental Health Association’s website is in Chinese, but it’s associated T.N. Foo Centre offers affordable counselling and training resources. www.mhahk.org.hk
• Motherhood Support Group – This is an independent, very friendly, judgement-free WhatsApp group for women looking for advice. Motherhood Support Group
• Suicide Prevention Services – 2382 0000, www.sps.org.hk
• Social Welfare Department 24-Hour Hotline – 2343 2255, www.swd.gov.hk
• Hospital Authority Mental Health Direct (24 Hours) – 2466 7350, www3.ha.org.hk
• Family Health Service 24-Hour Information Hotline – 2112 9900, www.fhs.gov.hk
• Family Health Service Breastfeeding Hotline – 3618 7450, www.fhs.gov.hk
• The Samaritan Befrienders Hong Kong – 2389 2223, www.sbhk.org.hk

A Mama’s final thoughts: My children are now in primary school and I still have good and bad mental health days. I put in a lot of work with a psychologist and GP, and now check in a few of times per year with my psychiatrist. I’ve learned my personal warning signs and triggers, and told my husband and closest friends so they can also notice if things start to slide. What I do know is that there is a dark headspace I don’t want to go back to, not for the sake of my family or for myself.

If you’re worried about the financial cost of seeking help privately, check your health insurance coverage and also see if your or your partner’s workplace or school offer an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). These services are offered by many companies and universities, are typically free and accessible through an initial phone or online chat consultation. They are facilitated by an external provider so the process is completely confidential to your workplace.

Read More: Maternity Insurance In Hong Kong — Health Insurance For Pregnancy And Childbirth

Editor’s Note: Postnatal Depression In Hong Kong was originally written by Aliza Carr, and updated by Jess Mizzi in May 2026