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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...
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Dismantling Structural Stigmatization Through Organizational Transparency, Accountability, and Leadership
In the Summer 2022 edition of Behavioral Health News, my colleague, Jayden Carr, BS, and I wrote an article reviewing the most common forms of stigmatization and their negative effects on people with mental illness and substance use disorders (MI/SUD). The term “stigmatization” rather than...
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Addressing Maternal Mental Health Through Connection and Care
The Transition Into Motherhood Becoming a mother is a profound transition—one that reshapes how a person sees themselves, their priorities, and their relationships. It’s a shift that can feel expansive and deeply meaningful, but also disorienting. With so much focus on the baby, it’s easy...
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Lost in the Margins: The Death Sentence of Misdiagnosing Borderline Personality Disorder
The true stigma in mental healthcare today lies not in immorality, as Erving Goffman argued, but rather in the misdiagnosis that condemns countless individuals, perpetuating cycles of ineffective treatment and amplified distress. Twelve million adults are misdiagnosed annually in the United...
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Trapped by Tradition: The Anxiety of Being a ‘Good’ South Asian Daughter-in-Law
In South Asian societies—including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal—the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship is often portrayed as a cornerstone of family life. While cultural narratives admire harmony and respect within the family system, the reality is often more...
