Maternal Mental Health Matters

MAY 3, 2017 IS WORLD MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS DAY #maternalMHmatters Today is World Maternal Mental Health Awareness Day, and we’re helping to bring attention to an important health issue and available treatment options. Worldwide, as many as one in five women experience some type of perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (PMAD). PMADs include postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder and others. “There is still this myth that pregnancy is blissful and if you don’t enjoy pregnancy and having your baby, there’s something wrong with you,” says Patricia Widra, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and a psychiatrist at University of Maryland Medical Center. “But fifteen to twenty percent of women have this experience, and there are ways to treat it.” Because of the stigma that often surrounds mental health disorders, many women hide or downplay their symptoms. Not getting support or treatment can have a devastating impact on the woman affected as well as on her partner and family. It’s important to treat a PMAD like any other health problem so that families can thrive. “Most people don’t realize it, but post-partum depression (PPD) is the most common serious complication after delivery,” says Dr. Widra. Women whose pregnancies end in miscarriage or stillbirth often experience not only grief but also postpartum depression. In addition, giving birth to a prematur...
Source: Life in a Medical Center - Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: Tags: Women's Health anxiety disorder maternal mental health mood disorder patricia widra PMAD Source Type: blogs