An important story appeared in yesterday's Los Angeles Times - Thanks to reporter Denise Gellene!

"War Wives at Greater Risk of Postpartum Depression:
Researchers say spouses of deployed servicemen should be screened after giving birth"

The story highlights a study presented at last week's annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, held in San Diego.

As the lead reads:

"Women with spouses on military deployment during their pregnancies face a nearly threefold higher risk for postpartum depression in initial screening tests, researchers reported this week.

The findings mean that military wives should be informed of the risk and aggressively screened for depression during their postpartum medical exams, said lead author Dr. Jeffrey Millegan of the Naval Medical Center in San Diego."

Posted by Sarah M. at 05:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Thanks to AWHONN for speaking out swiftly and strongly after to today's re-introduction of The MOTHERS Act into Congress. Here's their release, hot off the press:

"The 'Moms' Opportunity to Access Help, Education, Research and Support for Postpartum Depression Act' (MOTHERS Act), introduced today by Senator Menendez, is groundbreaking legislation that has the potential to help countless families and save lives.

The MOTHERS Act would award states grants to educate new mothers about PPD, screen them for the condition in the first year after birth and provide needed support in the event of a PPD diagnosis. A second grant program under the proposed law would subsidize direct medical assistance to PPD mothers and their families and support
needed research into the causes, diagnosis and treatment of the condition."

Posted by Sarah M. at 12:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (2)

As the fabulous Postpartum Progress blog has reported... Hospitals in Queens, New York are now doing what it takes to educate expectant and new mothers about postpartum depression (PPD) AND to follow up with them during the postpartum period, after hospital discharge.

What does it take, to launch such a program in a busy, overtaxed hospital setting, you ask? I'll tell you: Just a little cooperation and communication between the powers-that-be in the psychiatric department and the powers-that-be in the neonatal unit. And voila - Preventive care!

Cheers to them for setting an example of what can be accomplished for women and their babies.

Posted by Sarah M. at 07:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

More on Rosie O'Donnell's public discussion of her struggle with depression:

Apparently, this Friday's topic on Rosie's daytime talk show, "The View," will be women and depression, with guest co-host Linda Dano, the well-known soap opera actress who is a depression survivor-turned-advocate. Read more about Rosie's experiences in this Associated Press story.

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

E! News Online has interviewed author Sandra Poulin on the tabloidesque speculation about Britney Spears' breakdown and postpartum depression (PPD).

For the story, click here.

Posted by Sarah M. at 09:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | 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)

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)

From the Cincinnati Enquirer:

"Counseling can prevent postpartum depression"

Posted by Sarah M. at 02:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (477) | TrackBacks (3)

Tom Davis at the Record-Columnist in New Jersey, has a new column on Susan Stone and the work of Postpartum Support International (PSI). Check it out:

"Raising postpartum depression awareness"

Thanks to Tom for spreading the word about PPD as a medical issue and PSI as a partner in prevention, policy, and care.

Posted by Sarah M. at 01:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Thanks to the producers and writers of NBC's comedy Scrubs for treating last week's storyline -- on a new-mom character (Carla) suffering from PPD -- with decency, accuracy, dare I say it (?), panache.

I admit, I was skeptical when I heard that the show would deal with the subject of perinatal mood disorders. Scrubs is a comedy after all...and one of the most "irreverent" on the TV dial, with leanings toward potty-humor and general crassness. It's also in a 30-minute time-slot, which made it even less likely that a little-understood, stigmatized medical condition would be well-represented. But I must say, I felt that the Scrubs team did a better job in their brief representation than do most television dramas - and even better than some news-magazine programming.

I especially loved the one-liner in Scrubs about the absurdity of birthing women taking medical advice "from an aging man-actor who worships a dead science fiction writer." Zing!

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

This quote from David Shern, PhD, president and CEO of Mental Health America (formerly National Mental Health Association, NMHA), explaining the results of the organization's recent attiduinal survey on stress, has been picked up by several news outlets and is helping to raise public understanding of everyday mental health concerns:

"The majority of Americans are struggling to find a balance among the multitude of challenges that they have in their busy lives. . .People who have parenting responsibilities report the greatest level of stress . . . About 40 percent of them report three or more significant stressors in their lives."

Dr. Shern's comments were featured in a December 4, 2006 Voice of America (VOA) story on stress in the industrialized world and have also appeared in Men's News Daily, Contacto magazine, and NBC's Your Total Health.

Posted by Sarah M. at 07:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Washington, DC-based, nationally syndicated radio program Parents' Perspective recently did a show on maternal depression, featuring a good interview with author/journalist Tracy Thompson, who wrote the new book Ghost in the House: Motherhood, Raising Children, & Struggling with Depression.

Missed the show? No problem... You can listen to this program as a podcast!

Posted by Sarah M. at 01:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Ah, motherhood. The most powerful, romanticized, under-valued institution in Western culture, with a history and a mythology all its own. The scapegoat for individuals and societies to displace our greatest hopes, fears, and fantasies upon.

Along these lines, check out a new MSNBC story, "What's the real measure of a 'good mom'?: Judging mothers has turned into a popular American pastime, many say." (Nothing new in American discourse, but nevertheless seems to have been taken to new levels via new information technologies and a frantic cult of celebrity.)

Even more revealing than the story itself, check out the readers' discussion on MSNBC's message board.

Posted by Sarah M. at 01:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (12) | 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)

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)

A Chicago television station's coverage of the work advocates for women and families are doing in the state of Illinois - and at the national level: "Group Pushes for Postpartum Depression Screening."

Although I cringed at the inappropriate blurring of the line between the (very common) condition of PPD and the (very, very rare) condition of postpartum psychosis reflected in the wording of the headline and the content of the story... I still believe kudos are in order to reporter Sylvia Gomez for for telling the tragic story of Melanie Stokes in a context that can truly have a ripple effect on policy and public awareness. It's a story that can easily be leveraged as just a sound byte, a sensationalistic headline. But what happened to Melanie - and her devastated loved ones - is very real and should never have to be endured by another family. Women like Melanie aren't inherently doomed to lose their lives. They can and must be accurately diagnosed and appropriately treated.

We have to keep working hard to press past the lingering stigma and ignorance. . . one news story at a time, one state or federal bill at a time.

Posted by Sarah M. at 10:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The November 9 edition of The Washington Post featured an important story by Gene Kuleta, "Rejection of Stigma Leads to Renewal: Mother, 13 States Advocate for Pregnancy-Related Depression."

For more information about the statewide Maryland program spotlighted in this story that is reaching out to address prenatal depression and anxiety, go to www.healthynewmoms.org.

Posted by Sarah M. at 07:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you tuned in to the ABC News program 20/20 Friday night, you caught their segment on the tough issues surrounding motherhood and work. An area that is intricately related to emotional wellbeing and stress management for millions of American moms!

Journalist Elizabeth Vargas is just back from maternity leave, and her first topic is quite appropriate. The program featured an interview with Joan Blades, one of the fabulous co-founders of MomsRising and Carol Evans, president and CEO of Working Mother magazine. The program was headlined "Elizabeth Vargas Returns: Can Working Mothers Truly Have it All?"

Even if you missed the segment, you can still take part in the online message boards and other related features (including print stories) at the 20/20 website.

To give ABC kudos for treating women in the workplace as the important issue it is - for families, for the economy, for employers - and to let them know you want to see more coverage of issues American families are grappling with, send email to: 2020 (at) abc (dot) com.

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

Thanks to BBC News health reporter Jane Elliott for another in a series of good stories on perinatal mental health, sharing the real stories of real women who are speaking out about their experiences in an effort to help others:

"Childbirth 'left me feeling angry'"

I love that these feature stories are published with links to U.K. organizations that educate the public and help moms. Here are a few:

The Association for Postnatal Illness
The National Childbirth Trust
The Church of Scotland's Postnatal Depression Project
The British Psychological Society

Posted by Sarah M. at 07:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (112) | TrackBacks (7)

Thanks to New Jersey Record columnist Tom Davis for an informed, intelligent editorial responding to the public discourse about Andrea Yates - and more importantly, for addressing the broader issue of mental health awareness and the urgent need to banish stigma.

Click here to read "A fight for truth on depression."

Posted by Sarah M. at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Susan Dowd Stone, current president of Postpartum Support International (PSI), was on the CBS Early Show this morning, educating the public about postpartum depression.

High-five to Susan for squeezing into this short segment the important point that screening and awareness of emotional wellness must begin during pregnancy - So many women experience extremes of anxiety and depression during the prenatal period, and too often it goes undiagnosed and untreated. These women are at greater risk for severe postpartum depression, as a result. In addition, it's crucial that mental health is on the radar screens of expectant moms (and their partners and families) before they are home with a newborn and find themselves in crisis.

Bravo, CBS. Bravo, PSI.

Posted by Sarah M. at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Cheers for the CBS television network!

On October 15, the popular "Cold Case" show will deal with the issue of postpartum depression in an episode titled "Baby Blues" (airing 9-10 p.m. ET/PT).

During the show's commercial breaks, public service announcements (PSAs) with "Cold Case" actors Kathryn Morris and Danny Pino will educate about PPD.

CBS Cares has partnered with Postpartum Support International [PSI] to launch this PSA and online education campaign on postpartum depression.

This episode of "Cold Case" includes a storyline in which a mother admits to feeling stressed out with the demands of a new baby, along with being a working mother.

The PSAs will include warnings about the severity of postpartum depression, including the negative emotional and physical effects on the mother, infant, and family if the mother is not treated. To help with early detection, the PSAs will highlight symptoms such as tearfulness, mood swings, and difficulty connecting with the new baby. Each PSA will remind new mothers and family members that no one is to blame and that this is an easily treatable medical disease.

"These PSAs represent the most comprehensive national public health initiative ever undertaken to bring awareness to perinatal mood disorders," said Dowd Stone in the press release jointly issued by CBS and PSI. "With the potential of reaching millions of women, partners and families, lives can be saved by ending the isolation of sufferers and offering access to treatment resources. PSI strongly commends CBS Cares and COLD CASE for devoting their substantial talents and resources to raise awareness of this critical and underserved public health issue. We are honored to be partners in this worthy community outreach."

The CBS Cares website will provide additional information such as interviews with field experts discussing the symptoms of perinatal illness and treatment options. The site will also link to the PSI website, which lists local resources available and includes a helpline number -- 1.800.944.4773.

For the first time, CBS Cares will also make available a Spanish-language version of the PSAs featuring Danny Pino to any broadcaster or cable operator wishing to run them, and will do so without the CBS Cares logo, allowing entities to brand them as their own. The CBS Cares website will include the English and Spanish-language versions.

Dr. Margaret Spinelli, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and Director of Maternal Mental Health Program, New York State Psychiatric Institute, served as a medical consultant for the PSAs and online campaign. (She also served as a medical expert for the Andrea Yates retrial.)

On November 17, PSI is honoring both CBS Cares and "Cold Case" for their commitment to this illness with the Excellence in Media Outreach Award. More info on this gala event is available on PSI's website.

Posted by Sarah M. at 10:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Kudos to Seattle Post-Intelligencer columnist Susan Paynter for discussing the many reverberations of PPD in her column, and for using the real stories of real moms in a powerful, positive way:

"Everyone pays a price for postpartum depression."

To thank Paynter for her compelling editorial on this topic, contact her at: susanpaynter (at) seattlepi (dot) com.

Posted by Sarah M. at 10:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Well said, Katherine:

"Tom Cruise has Another Apology to Make"

Posted by Sarah M. at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (2)

Sadly, the negativity that accompanies many women's experiences of labor, birth, and postpartum is nearly unviersal. This op-ed piece in the Belfast News-Letter, penned by a new mother in Ireland, gives a voice to the feelings and silent struggles so many of us have experienced in those early postpartum days. A brave statement about what birthing women - and their babies - need and deserve:

"New mums need a bit of support."

Posted by Sarah M. at 02:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (3)

Like moths to the flame, a number of media outlets have picked up on the recent "dads-get-postpartum-depression-too" study, which was published in this month's journal Pediatrics.
Among those who ran a story in today's news:

from WebMD

from ABC News

from Fox News

from Yahoo! News and Reuters Health

from CBS News

The Virginian-Pilot

from MedicineNet

Veeery interesting indeed to notice the subtle spin that some media outlets present this research with. . . Even the sub-headers hint at socio-political agendas and stereotypes. However, in the end only good things can come from this study, the publicity it generates, and the public discourse it provokes. The more, the better!

Posted by Sarah M. at 07:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (3)

Thanks to the editors of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, who have been brave enough to publish an educated, insightful response to the verdict in the Andrea Yates case.

In doing so, this (relatively) small news organization has taken a stand in a bloodthirsty public debate - which, sadly, the editorial boards of some of the nation's larger and more influential media outlets have declined to do. The Sun-Sentinel's op-ed will help to educate its readers about mental health in a way that defies stigma and sensationalism.

"Yates Verdict: Humane End to Horrific Case of Postpartum Psychosis"

Posted by Sarah M. at 11:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (5)