Postpartum is not a specific entity. There is neither a very specific psychopathology nor evidence for a specific aetiology. The prevalence of severe is not significantly enhanced in the year as compared to women of the same age group without delivery who have quite a high prevalence of anyway. Incidence of milder might slightly be enhanced in the first weeks. Giving birth and adapting to the new mother role seem to be stressors contributing to the outbreak of in vulnerable, predisposed women or to enhance pre-existing depression. Biological, especially hormonal, as well as psychosocial factors can be relevant stressors in this situation. Although this is not a specific entity, the diagnostic term or specifier postpartum depression might still be justified, as in early motherhood shows many important specifities. Diagnosis is especially difficult, as women, due to shame, stigma and many fears, do not seek help and doctors, due to misinterpretation of symptoms, often do not recognise the severity of the situation. Untreated, these disorders can have especially severe consequences, not only for the mother, but also for the child and the whole family. These disorders therefore need our special attention and special treatment. This means modifications of our pharmacological, non-pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatment methods. Therapy - although in principle the same as that of other depressive disorders - has to put a special emphasis on the needs of the period. Education about the fact that this is a disease and not due to failure as a mother is of utmost importance to relieve the patients from feelings of guilt. Counselling and practical advice for the mother and her family is often needed as well as the help of a midwife, a family nurse, a social worker and/or other health care professionals. A good mother-infant bonding should be a main concern from the start. This means that the mother should not be separated from her infant for longer periods of time. However, she needs a lot of help in order to allow for relaxed contacts with the infant. Pharmacological treatment is often complicated by the patient's desire to breast-feed, yet there are no controlled trials of antidepressant treatment during lactation as regards the potential side effects and/or long-term consequences for the infant. On the other hand, the risks of ongoing severe are generally regarded as higher than the potential risks of medication. Thus, if a mother insists on breast-feeding, she has to be educated about side effects and the baby has to be carefully monitored. Several studies have in the meantime also shown positive effects of oestrogen substitution and non-pharmacological treatments such as bright-light therapy. Psychotherapy should be initiated as soon as possible and be very supportive in the beginning. Specific manualised forms of psychotherapy for women with have also shown very promising results. In the future, more emphasis should be laid on prophylaxis, specific education and the broad implementation of low-threshold services. Under all circumstances, special attention must be given to the mother-child-relationship, on the one hand to reduce feelings of guilt in the mother and thereby to enhance the process of healing, on the other hand to prevent traumatisation of the infant and to avoid deleterious long-term consequences.