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The Silent Struggles of Fertility: Understanding the Emotional Toll
When a woman embarks on the journey of fertility care, she enters a world filled with hope, uncertainty, and an emotional burden not always perceptible to others. The medical procedures and clinical visits are only part of the experience—behind closed doors, many face silent struggles that take a...
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No One Forgotten: Sharing Love with Hospitalized Mental Health Patients
The psych ward can be an unbearably lonely place. We’re often alone with our thoughts and reflections on relapses, struggles, disappointments, and hopelessness. I know. I’ve been there. I’ve suffered from severe bipolar I disorder with psychosis for over 25 years. Mental health crises landed...
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Addressing the Stigma of Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders
When I had my son in 2024, I had more than a few medical professionals warn me that due to my anxiety pre-pregnancy, I was at greater risk for developing a perinatal mood disorder (PMD), specifically postpartum anxiety (PPA) and/or postpartum depression (PPD). I was warned to contact someone if I...
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Addressing America’s Silent Crisis: Maternal Mental Health
Maternal mental health in the U.S. is in crisis. Despite advancements in medicine and growing awareness around mental health, the emotional well-being of mothers has quietly deteriorated. This is particularly true during pregnancy and after childbirth. A recent study published in JAMA...
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Confronting Racial Inequalities in Maternal Mental Health in Indigenous Women
It is well known that Indigenous populations such as Native Americans (N.A.) often have limited access to healthcare and suffer from health disparities and inequities in care. This is especially true of N.A. women suffering from maternal mental health issues such as postpartum depression (PPD)...
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“I Should Be Able to Handle This”: How Internalized Stigma Silences Moms
There’s a shared assumption in health care that if we make services more accessible, patients will use them. It’s the foundation of many well-intentioned interventions: Add depression screening to the six-week postpartum visit, embed a therapist in the OB/GYN clinic, expand access through...
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NYSPA Report – Biomarkers for Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders: A Way to Reduce Stigma
The numbers are so depressing. The United States has the worst maternal mortality of any developed country, with a racial disparity that is shocking.[1] Mental health conditions are one of the leading causes of pregnancy-related death – in some places, THE leading cause.[2] We do a dismal job of...
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Overcome Stigma with Resources for Support, Rejection, and Accommodations
Mental illness stigma might mean folks inappropriately assume someone living with a mental health condition is dangerous, incapable, or socially undesirable. When those negative attitudes translate into harmful actions, the results can be devastating. Stigma often leads to friends or family pulling...
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From Silence to Support: Changing the Story on Maternal Mental Health
When I became a mother, I was prepared for a momentous life change. What I did not anticipate was the impact that pregnancy and postpartum could have on my mental health, in addition to my physical recovery. After giving birth to my first daughter, I dismissed my stress and sensitivity as the...
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From Silence to Support: How Doula Care Can Destigmatize Maternal Mental Health
Motherhood is often framed using this narrative of a “strong mother”—of self-sacrifice, resilience, perseverance, and unwavering devotion. They are expected to give endlessly, to find joy in every sleepless night, and to cope quietly with the unexpected realities of their new identity. While...
