Did you know that the first week of May (May 5-11, 2024) is maternal mental health awareness week? But don’t worry, May is maternal mental health awareness month, so this crucial movement can be celebrated if you miss that first week! It’s the perfect month for celebrating and supporting mothers.
Ready for some stats that will keep you up at night?
- It’s everywhere! Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) impact approximately 800,000 new parents annually.
- It’s not just you! 1 in 5 women suffer from a perinatal mental health disorder.
- Approximately 20% of women suffer from clinical levels of depression during and/or after pregnancy.
- Postpartum psychosis occurs in 1-2 out of every 1,000 deliveries
- It’s not just women! 1 out of 10 dads suffer from PMADs following the birth of their child
- It’s not just live births! Miscarriage and other perinatal loss are associated with increased risk of depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms.
Women get pregnant and give birth daily, but that doesn’t mean that there is a normal or typical trajectory for how that will impact someone on an individual basis. If you are suffering with a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder, you don’t have to do it alone or in silence. You can reach out to a local therapist or counselor. Postpartum Support International has a directory of clinicians (PMH-Cs), who are specifically trained on a National level in Perinatal Mental Health. You can reach out to support groups by searching postpartum.net. Or you can contact the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline via phone call or text at 1-833-943-5746. This hotline is free, confidential, and staed 24/7 in over 60 languages. In case of emergency, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is reachable by calling 988.
Together We Can Lift Stigma and Shame.