New Jersey made headlines as the first US state to mandate screening for postpartum depression, but as the Star Ledger reported last month, women with PPD in the Garden State are often not finding the help they need. Among the limitations reported is a lack of doctors knowledgeable about or comfortable with treating PPD, a problem far from unique to New Jersey. Previous reports have found that although physicians are concerned about depression in their patients, they often perceive screening for depression as difficult to carry out (Obstet Gynecol 2003;101:892-893) or believe they lack the training or knowledge to treat it (Pediatrics 2002;110:1169-1176). Patients quoted in the article also cited a shortage of mental health professionals skilled in treating PPD.
The Star Ledger article is an important reminder of the necessity of resources such as MedEdPPD.org. In the year since its launch, over 700 people have registered on the site, and our Provider Search Directory includes 250 healthcare practitioners and mental health professionals committed to treating women with perinatal mood disorders. We sincerely appreciate all the support and positive feedback we have received from you over the past year. Please be sure to keep spreading the word about the site to your colleagues, peers, and patients.
Impact of defense style on brief psychotherapy of postpartum depression.
Magalhăes PV, Pinheiro RT, Faria AD, Osório CM, da Silva RA, Botella L. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2007 Oct;195(10):870-3.
This study evaluated the impact of defense style (DS) on outcome and its relation to the therapeutic alliance.
Not just a middle-class affliction: crafting a social work research agenda on postpartum depression.
Abrams LS, Curran L. Health Soc Work. 2007 Nov;32(4):289-96.
In this article, the authors review the literature on PPD with specific attention to the sociocultural dimensions of the disorder, barriers to treatment, and the relationship of PPD to social work theory and practice.
Treatment of postnatal depression in low-income mothers in primary-care clinics in Santiago, Chile: a randomised controlled trial.
Rojas G, Fritsch R, Solis J, Jadresic E, Castillo C, González M, Guajardo V, Lewis G, Peters TJ, Araya R. Lancet. 2007 Nov 10;370(9599):1629-37.
The authors compared the effectiveness of a multicomponent intervention with usual care to treat postnatal depression in low-income mothers in primary-care clinics in Santiago, Chile.
InTheNews
Offering A Parental Shoulder
Boston.com, December 16, 2007
Based in Watertown, Massachusetts, Parents Helping Parents offers free support groups in more than 25 locations across the state, and a 24-hour stress hotline staffed by volunteers. The organization gives guidance and support to parents and caregivers in crisis or in a difficult situation, including women with PPD.
Promised Lifeline For New Moms Falls Short
NJ.com/Star-Ledger, December 9, 2007
Since New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine signed the landmark postpartum depression law 20 months ago, the state has spent $9 million on the program: half on TV and radio ads and brochures encouraging women to ask for help, and half on training more than 6,000 medical professionals in how to identify the illness. But health experts and women using the hotline say the law has fallen short: Women are seeking help, but when they do, state and medical professionals often are not prepared to assist them.
"I Thought My Baby Was A Monster"
Telegraph.co.uk, December 3, 2007
At the Anna Freud Centre in London, England, Dr Amanda Jones works with women like Zoe Hicks who fail to form an attachment with their baby. Jones practices psychodynamic parent-infant psychotherapy, treating mother and baby together, which reveals more quickly if there is a problem with the mother-child bond.
SMFM 28th Annual Meeting: The Pregnancy Meeting™
When: January 28-February 1
Where: Dallas, TX
22nd Annual San Diego International Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment
When: January 28-February 1
Where: San Diego, CA
Postpartum Psychosis and Infanticide
When: February 7
Where: Teleconference
MedEdResources
Postpartum Support International
Postpartum Support International (PSI) is an international network which focuses on postpartum mental health and social support.
National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health
The National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health provides national leadership to the maternal and child health community.
National Mental Health Information Center Services Locator
The Mental Health Services Locator is a source of information on mental health services and resources, sorted by individual US state and territory.
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