Shadow and Transgenerationality in Postpartum Depression
A Perspective from Analytical Psychology
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21901/2448-3060/self-2025.vol-10.235Keywords:
Postpartum depression, Junguian psychology, mothersAbstract
Postpartum depression is a multifaceted phenomenon that transcends biological and social factors, rooted deeply within the maternal psyche. From the perspective of analytical psychology, motherhood can be understood as a rite of passage, wherein the woman encounters archetypes of the collective unconscious, particularly the archetype of the Great Mother, and may activate complex and challenging psychic contents, such as the dark maternal complex. These aspects can give rise to feelings of inadequacy, guilt, and emotional disconnection, potentially impairing the mother-infant bond and perpetuating transgenerational patterns of emotional suffering. This study examines the transgenerational transmission of unresolved maternal trauma within the context of postpartum depression, highlighting how such trauma can resurface during the maternal experience. Furthermore, it explores the role of the maternal shadow in the development of postpartum depression and considers how its integration and elaboration may serve as a path toward psychological transformation. Grounded in Jungian psychology, the argument is made that postpartum depression may represent a call from the unconscious, offering the mother an opportunity to reframe her emotional narrative and break cycles of transgenerational distress. Drawing on the contributions of Jung, Neumann, and contemporary authors, it is posited that motherhood, anchored in the integration of the shadow, can foster not only individual healing but also a psychological legacy of balance for future generations. Thus, understanding postpartum depression through this lens expands the therapeutic horizon, emphasizing the importance of emotional containment, care, and the symbolic re-signification of unconscious material in the maternal journey.
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