Last week, in a town called Otsu, a woman dropped her 10 month old baby boy out a 6th floor apartment window.
For the moment, let us assume that people who are perfectly sane do not go tossing babies out of apartment windows. Allow me to furthermore point out that mental illness effects the way people think; this should be obvious, but nobody is able to “just snap out of it” or “get a hold of yourself” when it comes to mental illness. Someone who is mentally ill might not even be able to tell they are not thinking rationally.
But why do I care about one baby boy and one mentally ill mom on the other side of the world? Why should you care?
Today is the Blog Day for The MOTHERS Act, the first event in an active targeted campaign by BlogHer to improve maternal health around the world. The MOTHERS Act stands for “Moms Opportunity to Access Help, Education, Research and Support for Postpartum Depression Act.” You can find out more about postpartum depression and its more serious form, postpartum psychosis from the nice folks at the Department of Health and Human Services. Here’s more:
Bottom line: Of the more than 800,000 women annually who are affected by post-partum emotional and mental issues, a mere 15% get treatment. The MOTHERS Act aims to change this by requiring screening of women who have given birth.
Before anybody goes off about how this is going to cost money, the type of “screening” we are talking about involves a few questions asked by a discharge nurse. These questions could result in someone getting treatment they desperately need; these questions could save a baby’s life.
Mahablog has a very nice post on this issue, including some insight through the voice of experience and a list of Congressmen to call.
Update 5/10/2012: I was contacted by a licensed social worker to inform me of a dead link (now corrected). She also gave me this great source on drug and alcohol abuse in women.
Thank you so much for posting today and supporting Blog Day for the MOTHERS Act. Let’s hope people keep writing and calling into tomorrow, because I hear the phone lines were pretty busy today. Women have so much power and we sometimes forget to use it. You have helped so many women with PPD, and I am forever grateful!
Thanks for your support of the MOTHERS Act. Too often postpartum depression is a problem that goes unnoticed, and most women with PPD never receive any type of treatment. PPD is a treatable illness, and it is essential that we continue to educate ourselves and others about this important issue.
For more information on PPD, visit us at The MGH Center for Women’s Mental Health.