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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...
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Voice and Identity: Daughters and Sons of Parents with Psychiatric Experiences
Parenting with a mental health condition is common, yet widely unsupported. The following statistics may surprise you: according to Joanne Nicholson of Brandeis and Kate Beibel at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, 68% of women and 57% of men with diagnosed psychiatric disorders are...
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Findings from New York State’s Report on Postpartum Depression Screening
Postpartum depression (PPD)—the most common perinatal mood and anxiety disorder—is a debilitating condition affecting at least one in eight people who give birth. PPD is more than just the “baby blues.” It is a more severe mood disorder that can last for many months. PPD may impair a...
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Project TEACH: A Perinatal Psychiatry Access Program Transforming Maternal Mental Healthcare in New York State
Maternal mental health conditions are one of the most common complications of pregnancy and birth, affecting one in five perinatal individuals (1,2) and 800,000 families annually in the United States, with 75% of those affected remaining untreated or undertreated (2). Mental health conditions are...
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Confronting Mental Health Stigma in Maternal Care
Mental health stigma—those persistent negative attitudes, beliefs, and stereotypes about mental illness—remains a powerful barrier to care. When these perceptions translate into actions in our society, they become discrimination, and this limits opportunities for healing. Even though mental...
