The Ghost In The House

Many thousands of women are affected by depression every year, suffering individual episodes at nearly twice the rate that men do. The prime years for depression are also, not coincidentally, the primarily childbearing years: between 24 and 44. In 'The Ghost in the House' award-winning reporter Tracy Thompson explores the science and psychology of maternal depression, integrating her own experiences as a mother and depression sufferer with survey results from 400 mothers who have been diagnosed with major depression. The result is an original and provocative look at this extremely common but virtually ignore issue.

Maternal depression is far more than just a postpartum condition. It is an illness at the intersection of genetic vulnerability and environment - in this case, the unprecedented level of stress that mothers live with today. By its very nature, it affects the lives of the children who grow up in its shadow - a fact long known to scientist but rarely discussed. Thompson's top-notch science writing builds on the tradition of blending memoir with journalism to put a human face on a common, and much misunderstood psychological state.