Published in the December 20 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience... new findings from an NIH-funded study conducted by researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) finds that over time, new experiences can actually re-wire the brain to develop better resiliency to stress.

This from the NIMH press office:

It's long been known that experiencing control over a stressor immunizes a rat from developing a depression-like syndrome when it later encounters stressors that it can't control. Now, scientists funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), have unraveled the workings of the brain circuitry that inoculates against such hard knocks -- the circuitry of resilience.

Control not only activated the brain's executive hub, the prefrontal cortex, but also altered it so that it later activated even when the stressor was not controllable. This activation turned off mood-regulating cells in the brainstem's alarm center. The immunizing effect was so powerful that even a week later, when confronted with an uncontrollable stressor, the cells behaved as if the stressor was controllable and the rat was protected.

"Lack of control over stressful life experiences has been implicated in mood and anxiety disorders," noted NIMH Director Thomas Insel, M.D. "Understanding how the brain encodes the experience of control to protect against such adverse consequences should help us develop better treatments for these disorders."

Rats exposed to uncontrollable stress develop a syndrome similar to depression. and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in which they lose the ability to learn how to escape stressors and behave more fearfully.

"Perceived control, or coping, can buffer individuals against the negative emotional and physiological impact of stress," said [lead researcher] Maier. "Enhancing the cortex's control over brainstem and other stress-responsive structures appears to be critical for preventing and treating mood and anxiety disorders."

Posted by Sarah M. at 01:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

On the heels of last week's decision by the FDA to extend the pediatric "black box" warning labels on antidepressant medications to adolescents and young adults up to age 25 - a demographic that includes thousands of young mothers - Mental Health America (MHA) (formerly the National Mental Health Association, NMHA) has released the following statement:

As with any medication, decisions to take antidepressants must be well-informed and their use must be cautiously monitored. Mental Health America offers the following tips on how best to approach this decision. Seek help if you feel depressed or experience distress that impacts your daily life.

Depression is a very serious health problem that affects 19 million American adults each year. Left untreated, it can
lead to significant problems at home, at work and with peers—as well as to life-threatening problems such as heart disease, substance abuse and suicide. In fact, 90 percent of all suicides are attributable to an untreated or under-treated mental or substance abuse disorder, particularly depression. Fortunately, depression is highly treatable with
therapy, medication or a combination of the two.

Posted by Sarah M. at 04:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (13) | TrackBacks (0)

Did you know that the fabulous Karen Kleiman and The Postpartum Stress Center in Philadelphia offers quarterly trainings?

The next session is set for Friday and Saturday, March 2-3, 2007! Early registration ends January 2. Click here to download and print the registration form. Discounts are available to groups and graduate students.

These trainings are unique opportunities - in small group settings of four to eight participants - for clinicians who are seriously dedicated to specializing and to becoming experts in the field of perinatal mental health. Participants spend a day not just learning the facts about assessment and treatment of perinatal mood disorders, but also learning how to interact closely with and exploring the challenges of assisting postpartum women.

Here's more from Karen:

Our belief that postpartum women require an active, involved therapist has led us to develop training methods that go beyond passive study or more traditional instruction styles. Instead, a significant component of our experiential training involves modeling the relational, philosophical style we believe essential to a positive therapeutic outcome: Therapy will be more successful if the therapist takes on a proactive role as the expert who is equally supportive and well-informed.

The staff at the PPSC are committed to making the training experience intimate and meaningful, so it can inspire other clinicians to carry out this important work on behalf of women struggling with postpartum depression.

Posted by Sarah M. at 08:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1168) | TrackBacks (103)

The Spectrum Health Perinatal Depression Conference is set for February 8-9, 2007 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and will be attended by healthcare professionals, students, and women's/family health advocates fromt hroughout the state.

Speakers include Dr. Anthony Richtsmeier from Spectrum Health Pediatric Behavioral Medicine, Birdie Gunyon Meyer, BSN, of Clarian Health Services, psychiatrist Dr. Curt Cunningham, psychologist Dr. Kerry Kerr McAvoy, and Nancy Roberts, RN and CCE, from the Spectrum Health Postpartum Emotional Support Group.

Here's a description:

The conference will promote awareness of postpartum depression and facilitates identification, treatment, intervention, and support. Participants will brainstorm strategies for screening perinatal mood disorders, discuss appropriate pharmacologic medications, and identify available treatments.

Physicians, RNs, LPNs, social workers, mental health professionals, home health workers, and others involved int he care of women are invited. Nursing continuing education information is available on request.

For more info or to register, contact Nancy Roberts at nancy.roberts (at) spectrum-health (dot) org or 616.391.1771, or Amber Kelly at amber.kelly (at) spectrum-health (dot) org, 616.391.1422.

Posted by Sarah M. at 01:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

What sounds like a fabulous training workshop for professionals and advocates/activists is set for February 2-3, 2007 in California, sponsored by Postpartum Support International (PSI) and El Camino Hospital.

Among the fabulous speakers is Dr. Shoshana Bennett, founder/coordinator of Postpartum Assistance for Mothers in Castro Valley, CA and past president of PSI, as well as the co-author of a great book - Beyond the Blues: A Guide to Understanding and Treating Prenatal and Postpartum Depression. Also instructing at the workshop will be Dr. Caroline Little Cribari, department chief of Behavioral Health Services at El Camino Hospital, and Dr. Pec Indman, a psychotherapist in Santa Clara, CA who is a coordinator for PSI and is involved in several international postpartum health organizations, as well as co-author of Beyond the Blues with Shoshana Bennett.

Among the topics:

Myths of Motherhood
Stigmas of Mental Illness
Care Provider Biases
Emotional Reactions to Pregnancy & Birth
Barriers to Treatment
Etiology/Symptomatology
Pharmacological Treatment of Mood Disorders during pregnancy, postpartum, & lactation
Prevention
Prenatal Screening
Postpartum Screening
Assessment and Diagnosis
Diagnostic Tools
Teamwork for Integration & Collaboration
Psychotherapeutic Models & TEchniques
Consequences to Mother, Child, & Family of Untreated PPD
... & lots more, with case studies and plenty of time for discussion.

For more info or to register, send email to: seminars (at) beyondtheblues (dot) com or call 408.255.1730.

Posted by Sarah M. at 12:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Important new data, and good news that the mainstream media is sharing it with the broader public!

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has drawn a deluge of media attention this week, with coverage from Time Magazine, CNN, ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, MSNBC, and many others.

The study, which is based on data from over two million people in the Danish health and civil service registers, finds that first-time mothers are at an increased risk for a host of mental health disorders that include but also go far beyond postpartum depression - anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia - with the greatest risk during the first three months after childbirth.

They also found that first-time childbearing women had a risk of postpartum mental illness at a rate 7.3 times higher than for women who had given birth previously.

The study found postpartum depression affecting 10 to 15 percent of all mothers, but the team also notes that this data is an "underestimate," given the fact that approximately 40 to 50 percent of postpartum mental illness goes undiagnosed.

At least one previous study found that some new fathers also suffer from depression after a child is born, but the current JAMA study argues against any association between fatherhood and the onset of mental illness.

Also published in this edition of JAMA: a group-authored editorial, "Postpartum Depression: A Major Public Health Problem."

Posted by Sarah M. at 01:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

A commentary published in the latest edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) draws attention to "Postpartum Depression: A Major Public Health Problem."

Here's an excerpt from the commentary's intro:

Postpartum psychiatric disorders, particularly depression, have received increasing attention in the United States for several reasons.

Coupled with entry of the newborn into the family, postpartum depression affects crucial infant and adult developmental processes. The disruption to the early mother-infant relationship contributes to short- and long-term adverse child outcomes. The negative effects of maternal depression on children include an increased risk of impaired mental and motor development, difficult temperament, poor self-regulation, low self-esteem, and behavior problems.

Posted by Sarah M. at 12:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Spread the word to corporate boards, CEOs, and HR folks:

A new research report funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) at the NIH finds that "Benefits to Employers Outweigh Enhanced Depression-Care Costs."

No big surprise to the advocates and professionals who work in this field, but it's always nice to have the hard data - from an authoritative source - to make the argument for less stigma, less denial, and more mental health care for working moms... and all other workers.

Here's an excerpt from the NIMH's press release on this study:

It may be in society's and employers' best interests to offer programs that actively seek out and treat depression in the workforce, suggests an analysis funded by the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

A simulation based on dozens of studies revealed that providing a minimal level of enhanced care for employees' depression would result in a cumulative savings to employers of $2,898 per 1,000 workers over 5 years.

Even though the intervention would initially increase use of mental health services, it ultimately would save employers money by reducing absenteeism and employee turnover costs, according to Drs. Philip Wang and Ronald Kessler, of Harvard University, and colleagues, who report on their findings in the December 2006 Archives of General Psychiatry.

"Depression exacts economic costs totaling tens of billions of dollars annually in the United States, mostly from lost work productivity," noted Wang. "Yet we're not making the most of available services and treatments. Our study calculates what employers' return on their investment would be if they purchased enhanced depression treatment programs for their workers."

Savings from reduced absenteeism and employee turnover and other benefits of the intervention began to exceed the costs of the program by the second year, yielding a net savings of $4,633 per 1,000 workers.

Enhanced care had the most benefit in cases of higher-level employees who influenced the productivity of co-workers.

Posted by Sarah M. at 07:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (66)

Karen Kleiman, author and expert on perinatal mood disorders (as well as founder of The Postpartum Stress Center in Philadelphia), was recently featured on The Learning Channel's (TLC) "Suviving Motherhood."

To check out the video of Karen sharing her "Surviving Motherhood" tips, click here.

Cheers for TLC, who took the important step of featuring a mental health topic on this program!

Posted by Sarah M. at 03:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

NBC NIghtly News with Brian Williams recently interviewed advocate Jessica Banas about her Online PPD Support Group and her personal experiences with postpartum depression (PPD).

The interview is scheduled to air on Tuesday, December 5. Click here to check local listings and times.

Posted by Sarah M. at 03:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

New posts from Katherine Stone's excellent Postpartum Progress blog:

"Califnornia Mom's Thought on 'Whining' Mary Jo Codey, 'Questionable' Antidepressants, & 'Trumped Up Illnesses Like Postpartum Depression'"

"Postpartum Women Respond to Ignorant Writer"

"More Sad News, & Something You can Do About It"

Posted by Sarah M. at 02:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)