Postpartum Depression Stigma Fading ?
Q: Since most of the college-age set has not yet experienced parenthood,
words such as “postpartum depression” may mean very little to you.
Though brought to the attention of the nation by a crazy man who jumps
on couches, postpartum depression is a very real problem, yet has been
kept somewhat hush-hush. Mothers have said they’ve felt embarrassed or
unqualified, or that they were overreacting when they experienced
symptoms of the disorder. Some experts estimate 80 percent of women
experience symptoms of postpartum depression after they give birth.
A:postpartum depression is cured by
vitamins or the methods of his controversial religion, Scientology. He
publicly criticized actress Brooke Shields for using antidepressants in
conjunction with therapy to treat her postpartum depression after the
birth of her daughter.
New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine made history Thursday, signing a bill
requiring health care professionals providing postnatal care to screen
new mothers for postpartum depression, the bill also requires them to
educate women and their families about the disorder. Former New Jersey
governor and current Sen. Richard J. Codey drafted the bill because he
experienced the disease first-hand while his wife dealt with postpartum
depression, saying, “I know, first-hand, the grief caused by postpartum
depression and it is not something that any woman should have to suffer
alone in silence.”
This bill is a strong piece of legislation in many ways. It acknowledges
a real problem affecting a large amount of women and families, and aims
to correct it through screening. A video on Comcast.net showed the
screening process as a series of phone calls at certain times before and
after the birth, asking if the mother had experienced particular
symptoms. It is non-invasive, convenient and may identify women who
don’t even know they had a problem. It also provides a qualified
professional for women to turn to if they know something is wrong.
If 70- to 80 percent of mothers are experiencing some form of this
depression, and 10 percent of these fall prey to the most serious kind,
shouldn’t everyone be happy about this bill?
One woman in the Comcast.net story opposed the bill, citing concerns
over too much screening. “Where does it end?” she asked. “What makes
screening for postpartum depression more important then, say, a thyroid
condition? If you start mandating what to screen for, where does it
stop?”
I can see this to a point, but postpartum depression has key factors
other diseases don’t: There is a large number of women and families
affected, it is not always easily identified by the women themselves;
and it is treatable once identified. It is also easier to screen for a
condition like this than something like a thyroid condition. When you
have women from all walks of life describing suicidal and homicidal
feelings toward themselves and their babies, something must be done.
This bill does more than mandate screening. It is a sign of success for
women that lawmakers are finally taking notice they may have problems
respective to only them and special laws may need to be drafted. In a
twisted world where Viagra is often covered by insurance and birth
control isn’t, this is a victory for women’s health care.
Now that the stigma surrounding this condition is disappearing due to
awareness and legislation, families as a whole can look to leading
better lives. Mothers can treat their issues, babies are not in danger
of neglect and fathers and other children can function with the mother
and child to form a more functional unit. I commend New Jersey’s
lawmakers for putting this legislation into effect, and urge Maryland to
follow suit. In 2004, House