Some of the celebrity gossip news agencies have published accounts today about pop singer (and mother of an infant and a toddler) Britney Spears, who is currently in a rehab/psychiatric care facility in California. Their stories claim that Spears is suffering from severe postpartum depression (PPD).

Whether or not Spears herself confirms experiencing PPD remains to be seen. And regardless of her diagnosis, watching this young woman's emotional unraveling - while being stalked by photographers night and day - has been heartbreaking. We applaud her family for helping Spears get professional help, and we wish for her a healthy return to her children.

I shudder to think of the way the mass media is likely to spin the PPD story. But maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised, and they'll handle this story with minimal stigma/sensationalism and maximum dignity! (Pigs can fly.)

Posted by Sarah M. at 02:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (1)

Congratulations to Cynthia Wainscott, a tireless champion for women's mental health and perinatal wellbeing, for her nomination by President George Bush to the National Council on Disability (NCD).

Cynthia, who has spoken publicly about her mother's struggle with depression and her daughter's experience of PPD (most recently at the National HMHB Coalition briefing on Capitol Hill last fall), has been a board member of Mental Health America (formerly National Mental Health Association) since 1999. She also directed a pilot site for the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) program "Depression: Awareness, Recognition, and Treatment," a groundbreaking public education campaign that developed a training model for education programs nationwide.

I can testify that Cynthia is at her finest when speaking about her personal experiences of depression and her vision for change - she's an impassioned, inspiring advocate for women and families!

Posted by Sarah M. at 09:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

Mark your calendar now, fellow advocates, volunteers, and clinicians:

Postpartum Support International (PSI) of Washington's 2007 Conference, Beyond the Birth: Current Trends in Treating Perinatal and Postpartum Mood Disorders, is set for September 21, 2007 at Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, Washington.

The conference is designed to educate professionals in the birthing community, such as therapists, physicians, midwives, doulas, lactation consultants, childbirth educators, and others who work with pregnant and postpartum women.

Specific details on times, speakers, and registration will be available in the next few months at the website: www.ppmdsupport.com.

Posted by Sarah M. at 07:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

This morning's Diane Rehm Show on NPR focused on mental health insurance benefits, with guests including Senator Pet Domenici (R-New Mexico), Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Massachusetts), Vice President for Health Policy at American Benefits Council Paul Dennett, Andrew Sperling from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and President of Cigna Behavioral Health Keith Dixon.

Senators Domenici, Kennedy, and Mike Enzi have introduced legislation that requires health insurers who cover "mental illnesses" to offer benefits on par with those provided for "physical ailments."

Thanks to Diane Rehm and her producers for featuring this important and timely topic! To hear the podcast of this program, or to order a text transcript, click here.

Posted by Sarah M. at 12:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (1028) | TrackBacks (37)

A new study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research was NOT able to confirm previous findings, which have suggested a relationship between depressive symptoms at the end of pregnancy and in the first 5 days after birth and the levels of estrogen and progesterone in a woman's body.

The study looked at the relationship between total levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone (which undergo massive flux during pregnancy and after giving birth), questioning whether the magnitude of change might be associated with the occurence and intensity of perinatal depression. They found no such connection. In this study, the hormone levels did not make women any more likely to experience PPD.

Possible limitation of this study is its small size, with a sample of just 89 women. Larger samples are going to give more authoritative results.

Based on previous studies, the current theory is that sudden, drastic drops in estrogen levels or hypogonadal levels play a part in causing PPD.

Posted by Sarah M. at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (64) | TrackBacks (0)

Just received this policy-related press release from Mental Health America (formerly National Mental Health Association):

Senators Propose Protections for Americans with Mental Health Needs

"Senate leaders today introduced legislation that holds the promise of ending insurance discrimination against people who participate in employer-sponsored health care plans and need help for a mental health or substance abuse problem. Mental Health America applauds the leadership of Senators Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), Edward Kennedy (D-Mass) and Michael Enzi (R-Wyo.) in crafting this long-sought measure to bring fundamental insurance protections to the nearly 60 percent of Americans who rely on employer-sponsored coverage.

For more information and recent public opinion survey findings related to mental health insurance coverage, go to www.mentalhealthamerica.net. "

Posted by Sarah M. at 11:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (1)

A new research report from the DC-based think-tank Child Trends looks at the most important characteristics in mothers associated with providing babies and young children a "strong start" developmentally.

Check out the free, downloadable PDF of this report:
Conceptualizing a 'Strong Start': Antecedents of Positive Child Outcomes at Birth & Into Early Childhood

We are a lot about the (significant) problems of low birthweight and prematurity these days, and how they affect children's longer-term outcomes. So you might be surprised to learn that the research suggests a far more complex interplay of multiple factors during pregnancy and after birth:

THE most important maternal characteristics for providing babies and children a "strong start":

* Mother's physical & mental health status
* Mother's health-related behaviors
* Mother's receipt of health-related services
* Absence of material hardship (financial, etc.)
* Marriage & social support
* Social & demographic factors
* Mother's attitude about the pregnancy

Posted by Sarah M. at 01:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

A new study published in the Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine & Biology found that high copper levels are associated with postpartum depression (PPD).

Here's a summary of the findings from Reuters:

"High copper levels tied to postpartum depression"

For the abstract of this study, click here.

Posted by Sarah M. at 07:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Hurray, hurray for CBS News and their recent story on antepartum depression, which occurs during pregnancy.

Just as common as postpartum depression (PPD), antepartum depression is severely under-recognized and under-treated - even though, affecting between 10 and 20 percent of women, it is one of THE most common complications of prgnancy. And it has a big impact on overall prenatal health - as well as potentially on birth outcomes (such as birth weight and premature labor) and newborn health. Women who become depressed during pregnancy are also at significantly greater risk for severe postpartum depression (PPD).

It's time we get past our culture's romanticized fantasy of the "glowing," joyous pregnancy... because at least 1 in 10 women is having a VERY different experience. Antepartum depression is treatable, and it needs to be better addressed by childbirth instructors, healthcare providers, doulas, public health programs, and others who work with pregnant women.

Posted by Sarah M. at 10:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This week I received a review copy of a new novel published by Random House whose protagonist, Eve, becomes increasingly mired in postpartum depression (PPD).

The novel is Parallel Play by Thomas Rayfiel, Brooklyn father of two. And I'm adding it to my reading list. Will be interesting to see how the subject matter is handled, and I look forward to reviewing the book on this blog. Your comments are welcome, too!

I was encouraged to read the following in a letter from the Random House publicist:
"Because it offers an unvarnished view of this common but not commonly-reported problem, the author has asked that we send advance copies to postpartum depression counselors and therapists throughout the country, in the hopes that it could prove useful as a starting point for discussions. Fiction can often touch and give insight in a way that manuals and self-help guides, however well-intended, cannot."

If you lead a book club or support group that would like to speak with this author or get more information about the book, contact Jennifer Jones, Random House Publishing Group, at jmjones (at) randomhouse (dot) com.

Posted by Sarah M. at 07:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

More new news on the simultaneously glorious and pesky thyroid gland, from an Associated Press (AP) report:

"Debate grows over female thyroid testing and pregnancy"

Posted by Sarah M. at 07:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fabulous West Coast advocate, postpartum doula, and volunteer PSI coordinator Heidi Koss-Nobel is leading a one-day PPMD (postpartum mood disorder) workshop on Monday, March 26 at the Seattle Midwifery School in Washington State.

In addition to Heidi, speakers are Dr. Margie Bone, a psychiatrist in private practice, and Rebecca Brabo Silva, a psychotherapist in private practice.

For more details, click here.

The workshop is aimed at healthcare providers, and CEUs will be available. Tuition is $125 and space is limited, so you must register in advance by contacting the Seattle Midwifery School directly: 800.747.9433 or 206.322.8834.

Posted by Sarah M. at 02:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Postpartum Progress blog has a great new profile on women's health advocate Helena Bradford, who founded the Ruth Rhoden Craven Foundation for Postpartum Depression Awareness in South Carolina.

Helena started the Foundation after losing her daughter Ruth, age 33, in 1999, just two and a half months after the birth of Ruth's first baby. Helena has done so much to spread awareness that the illness which took her daughter's life is VERY treatable! We just have to know what to look for, when to get professional help, and we need more resources in more communities to provide that help.

Posted by Sarah M. at 02:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)