Care for Your Mind acknowledges and appreciates the collaboration of the National Network of Depression Centers in developing this series.

Why Psychiatric Care for Pregnant Women Often Falls Short
Nancy Byatt, D.O., M.S., M.B.A., F.A.P.M.

When a maternal suicide or infanticide (the intentional killing of a child within a year of birth) makes the news, everyone is left with one question: How could this have happened? The truth is that the potential for this kind of tragedy lies within a very specific segment of the population: vulnerable pregnant and postpartum women in need of psychiatric care.

Of the millions of women who suffer from perinatal mental health issues, most have unipolar depression and can be treated successfully by trained OBs or other primary care providers. The remaining 20 percent, however, require psychiatric care for more complex conditions such as severe depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or postpartum psychosis, and it’s in this population where tragedy can occur.

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Susan Campbell
Families for Depression Awareness

I started dreaming about having a baby when I was a very little girl. I began babysitting at a young age and played with dolls for far longer than I care to admit. Being a mother was my life’s ambition. I never imagined that when I finally became a mother, I would have thoughts of hating my baby or wanting to hurt her or myself. But that’s exactly what happened and today I am truly grateful that we are alive.

I couldn’t have been more excited, less than three months after our wedding, to learn that I was pregnant. But it wasn’t the magical, transformative experience I’d imagined. It was a lot like turning a year older: you know something happened, but you don’t feel any different.

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Care for Your Mind acknowledges and appreciates the collaboration of the National Network of Depression Centers in developing this series.

Why Doctors Can’t Treat Their Patients: Barriers to Mental Health Care for Obstetricians, Pediatricians, and Psychiatrists

Tiffany A. Moore Simas, MD, MPH, MEd, FACOG, John Straus, MD, FAAP

Doctors have a responsibility to care for their patients, but what happens when they don’t have the resources to do so properly? Historically, this has been the situation that obstetric, pediatric, and psychiatric providers have faced when it came to the mental health of pregnant and postpartum women.

Because most of these physicians haven’t had adequate training, tools, time, and/or support, women with postpartum depression (PPD) have frequently gone undetected or without adequate treatment. Until recently, perinatal depression screening was not clearly recommended as part of routine pregnancy and postpartum care. Even providers who recognized the importance of screening were hesitant to screen, primarily because they had limited support and resources to offer if a patient screened positive.

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Care for Your Mind acknowledges and appreciates the collaboration of the National Network of Depression Centers in developing this series.

Maternal Mental Health: A National Health Care Crisis
Nancy Byatt, D.O., M.S., M.B.A., F.A.P.M.

Few issues are of more importance to our society than the psychological well-being of pregnant and postpartum women. They are the guardians of current and future generations — our mothers, partners, children, daughters, and sisters.

Tragically, America’s mothers are facing a mental health care crisis. One in seven women who are pregnant or have recently had a baby suffers from depression, making it more common than diabetes during pregnancy. This is an epidemic that affects all of us, impacting hospitals, homes, schools, and workplaces.

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Care for Your Mind acknowledges and appreciates the collaboration of the National Network of Depression Centers in developing this series.

I Had Postpartum Depression and the System Failed Me
Jamie Belsito

After the births of each of my two daughters, I suffered from postpartum depression (PPD), OCD, anxiety, and intrusive thoughts. Both were terrifying experiences. There were times I wanted to go to sleep and never wake up, times I experienced visions of stabbing myself with sharp objects.  My experiences made no sense to me, as I was joyful about both of my pregnancies and the births of my daughters.

During what was to be the most wonderful time of my life, instead, I felt alone and completely confused. I didn’t know where to turn, and even when I reached out for help, the response from the medical community was inadequate.

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By Michael Rafferty
Families for Depression Awareness Volunteer

June 18, 1992 was the Worst Day of My Entire Life (so far). The parenthetical disclaimer is important, but more about that and the day itself a little later.

I am an extrovert. I’m quick with a joke, trending toward the irreverent or sarcastic but just as often self-deprecating. When someone needs help with something, I’ll offer mine. I will celebrate a colleague’s success–sometimes with suppressed envy but, among the Irish, envy is a high compliment.

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Eileen McNeely, RN, C., M.S., PhD.
Co-Director Sustainability and Health Initiatives for NetPositive Enterprise (SHINE)

It has long been recognized that physically healthy employees are good for an organization’s financial health. To that point, discounts on gym memberships which began as an innovative employee perk, are increasingly common as employers look for ways to incent employees to adopt healthy life-styles. Behind these perks is the continuing increase in employee health insurance premiums.

According to a 2015 HealthAffairs report with references to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the average health insurance annual premium for employer-sponsored family coverage in 2014 was $17,544 per employee. In an effort to keep the rising cost of health insurance premiums in check, employers have deployed a variety of financial incentives such as discounts on employees’ share of health insurance premiums for:

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Tips for seeking ADA accommodations
Mark Siegert, PhD

If you are struggling with a mental health issue, you may be inclined to hide your condition from your co-workers or employer; and you might worry that sharing behavioral health information could alienate you from your peers and that it might damage your career.

While these considerations are serious, there is a comforting piece of reality you should know: many of your co-workers are also struggling. Recent research suggests that at any given time, 20 to 25 percent of the workforce has a diagnosable mental health condition and 18 percent has an active substance abuse problem. That means that right now, one out of every four or five employees has a mental health issue. Picture your co-workers in a room. Yes, on average, at least one out of every five has, or if diagnosed would have, a mental health diagnosis.

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