Depression, anxiety and other mental health issues are the most common complications during and after pregnancy, affecting an estimated 1 in 5 women. Yet, 75 percent of postpartum problems go untreated. The consequences can be devastating. Suicide and overdoses are leading causes of maternal death in the United States.
While medical science is focusing more on treating symptoms — the Food and Drug Administration recently approved the first-ever pill specifically aimed at postpartum depression — tough-it-out societal attitudes remain hard to shake.
For families and kids, finding ways to help new mothers navigate depression is critical but it’s still hard to get people to understand this isn’t just about feeling down for a day or two.
Perinatal mood disorders, like postpartum depression or anxiety, are common and treatable. It’s not just sadness. It can look like excessive worry, irritability or fatigue.
A 2015 Minnesota Department of Health report found depression and anxiety grip at least 15 percent of new mothers in Minnesota — nearly 30 percent within low-income communities. Even after being diagnosed with postpartum depression or anxiety, about half of moms using public health programs don’t get follow-up care.
Read more at MPRNews.org.
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