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February 22, 2013                                                                                                  
Issue #23
Because there is no health without Mental Health!

SKIN-TO-SKIN CONTACT MAY REDUCE RISK FOR POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION

 

A study in the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing investigated the link between mother/infant skin-to-skin contact (SSC) and mothers' postpartum depressive symptoms during the first 3 postpartum months and physiological stress during the first postpartum month. All mothers had full-term infants, and mothers in the SSC group provided 2-5 hours of SSC with their infants, while mothers in the control group provided little or no SSC. When infants were ages 1 week and 1 month, mothers in the SSC group had lower scores on self-report depression scales compared to mothers in the control group. During infants' first month, mothers in the SSC group had a greater reduction in their salivary cortisol compared to mothers in the control group. Researchers conclude that mother/infant SSC benefits mothers through a reduction in depressive symptoms and physiological stress during the postpartum period.

 

Access the article here.

THREE MOTHERS WHO GOT BETTER

 

Stories of three mothers with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders are featured this month in Postpartum Progress, Katherine Stone's award-winning blog. Links to 3 other blogs are provided, along with excerpts written by two women who experienced postpartum depression (PPD) and one woman who suffered from postpartum OCD and anxiety. One of the mothers who had PPD writes:

 

And in the middle of the night, I started thinking that maybe I really didn't want to be a mom. Maybe I wasn't cut out for it. I wasn't feeling this connection with my baby that everybody always talked about. I was scared that I didn't feel like I thought a mom should. But I didn't tell anybody else. I put on a smile and tried to pretend that this was the best thing that ever happened to me.

 

All three mothers got help and recovered from their illnesses.

 See the full post here.

IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL SUPPORT AND PERSONALIZED REFERRAL FOR PERINATAL DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY

 

In this month's issue of the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing, a group of researchers examined treatment-seeking behaviors among a sample of women in Ohio at risk for perinatal depression or anxiety. Women who reported significant levels of depressive or anxious symptoms were asked to take part in a telephone survey, and family members identified as social support persons were also surveyed. More women reported consulting their friends and family about symptoms (83%) than consulting healthcare professionals (50%). Although two thirds of women recalled being screened for depression, only 36.1% received referral or treatment via pharmacotherapy, and only 16.1% were referred or treated via psychotherapy. The researchers conclude that screening and referral may be enhanced by targeting social support persons and engaging in personalized referral processes to facilitate treatment.

 

Read more here.

DID YOU KNOW?

 

Researchers have found that social support and depressive symptoms were significant predictors of maternal-fetal attachment in predominantly low-income women. Women who participated in the study discussed the importance of social support in contributing to their mood and maternal-fetal attachment.

Read more here.

 

A  study of Chinese postpartum mothers in the United States and Taiwan revealed that more Taiwanese mothers experienced depression compared to US mothers. More than half the mothers in the total sample experienced difficulties with exhaustion, sleep, and memory.

Access the study here.

 

In a study of postpartum psychosis among women who had a pre-conception history of psychiatric hospitalization but who were not hospitalized during pregnancy, researchers found that women who had a postpartum psychiatric hospitalization (PPH) were at higher odds of having non-psychiatric complications (e.g., lactation problems) compared to women who did not have a PPH. Additionally, infants of mothers who had a PPH were at higher odds of death within the first year of life compared to mothers without PPH.

Read more here.

SCREENING & IDENTIFICATION TRAINING FOR PERINATAL MOOD AND ANXIETY DISORDERS

 

Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) are the #1 complication of childbirth in the US, affecting approximately 10-15% of childbearing women. Project Healthy Moms' PMAD Screening and Identification Trainings are aimed at healthcare providers (e.g. physicians, nurses, social workers) who come in contact with childbearing women. Through this program, healthcare providers who are involved in maternal and child health are trained to recognize symptoms of the various PMADs and consequences of untreated PMADs. During the training, providers learn how to screen mothers for PMADs and are also educated about treatment options and referral methods. The goal of the training is to ensure that healthcare providers are able to correctly and routinely identify and refer women who may be suffering from PMADs in their practices.

 

To learn more and schedule a training, please contact Liz Smulian at [email protected] or at 678-904-1968.

RESOURCE LIST

 

Did you know that Mental Health America of Georgia has a resource list for pregnant and postpartum women? It is updated regularly and provides contact information for healthcare providers and outlets for self-care for pregnant or postpartum women.

 

To access the list, visit www.mhageorgia.org, then go to 

Our Programs > Project Healthy Moms > Resource List.

PROJECT HEALTHY MOMS WARMLINE AVAILABLE TO ALL GEORGIA WOMEN

 

The Project Healthy Moms Warmline is available in English and Spanish for ALL Georgia women seeking peer support and resource linkage for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders! Georgia women can phone in to the toll-free Project Healthy Moms Warmline, call the local Georgia number or email to contact a mother who has experienced and overcome perinatal depression/anxiety and who can provide emotional support and suggest appropriate resources. Please leave a message when you call the Warmline, and a support person will respond as soon as possible. It does get better!

 

Toll Free: 1-800-933-9896, ext. 234 (#1 for Spanish) 

Local: 678-904-1966 (#1 for Spanish) 

Email: [email protected] (English)  

[email protected] (Spanish)

 

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!

 

Project Healthy Moms is an important initiative of MHA of Georgia.  Perinatal mood disorders are the most common complication of childbirth.  In the United States, between 10% and 15% of new mothers suffer from these devastating illnesses which, if not properly treated, can have a long-term negative impact on the health of not only the mothers, but their children and families as well.  Our goal is to increase awareness, identification, treatment, and support of perinatal mood disorders in Georgia, while also reducing the stigma associated with them.  To learn more about Project Healthy Moms, click here.

Project Healthy Moms is only one of many programs developed by MHA of Georgia to further our mission of enhancing the mental health of all Georgians through education, outreach, and advocacy. Click here to learn more about MHA of Georgia's other programs.  Your support will help us continue our work educating Georgians about mental illness, striving to eliminate stigma, and advocating on behalf of people with  mental illness in our state.  Click here to support MHA of Georgia.

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