The more leave time from work that a woman takes after giving birth — up to six months — the better protected she will be from experiencing postpartum depression, according to a study led by Dr. Rada K. Dagher, assistant professor of health services administration at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. “In the U.S., most working women are back to work soon after giving birth, with the majority not taking more than three months of leave,” said Dr. Dagher. “But our study showed that women who return to work sooner than six months after childbirth experience increased postpartum depressive symptoms.” The study is published in the Journal of Health Politics, Policy, and Law.