August 22, 2008
Counseling, group therapy are keys to coping
In light of a recent study that finds postpartum depression is more common than previously thought, Geisinger experts say that group therapy, emotional support from family and even a good night’s sleep can help women cope with depression and baby blues.
Read more at The Daily Item
August 21, 2008
Employers Step Up Help For New Moms
In a novel twist, employee-assistance providers are stepping up programs to aid new mothers’ return to work. ComPsych has increased confidential counseling and support groups to expectant and new mothers, to help them resolve inner conflicts and anxiety and clarify their own goals, says CEO Rich Chaifetz; counselors help parents see that it’s normal to feel sad and apprehensive.
Read more at Wall Street Journal
August 20, 2008
Woman pleads guilty but mentally ill to drowning baby
After pleading guilty but mentally ill Tuesday to drowning her baby daughter last year, a 34-year-old woman asked a judge if her incarceration would be reduced if she behaved in prison. Padovani was diagnosed 14 years ago with bipolar disorder with schizophrenia. In accepting her plea, the judge noted that two psychiatrists said she was suffering from mental illness at the time, causing her to have “insufficient” will-power to prevent her from drowning the child.
Read more at Delawareonline
August 12, 2008
Public Health Clinic Study Links “Americanization” and Depression
A study of 439 U.S. and Mexican-born Latinas seeking pregnancy and postpartum services at public health clinics in San Antonio uncovered elevated levels of depression among the more “Americanized” women, report researchers from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in the most recent online issue of the Maternal and Child Health Journal.
Read more at WebWire
August 11, 2008
Matria Healthcare Provides Critical Support to New Moms Through MaternaLink Postpartum Depression Screening Program
Matria Healthcare announced today that it has launched its MaternaLink Postpartum Depression (PPD) Screening Program, an important new service to help identify new moms at risk for PPD. The program’s focus is to provide earlier clinical evaluation and support, better mental health and improved clinical and financial outcomes. Matria’s trained staff will use a validated screening tool to assess a new mom’s potential risk factors for postpartum depression. Depending on the results, new moms are then referred to behavioral health providers for additional evaluation and treatment. All participants receive 24/7 access to highly-experienced OB and NICU trained nurses who work in tandem with patients’ physicians’ plans of care.
For more information go to State College Daily
August 10, 2008
Katherine Stones comments on Postpartum depression study that offers hope for better treatment
New research on the cause of postpartum depression has linked the disease to mouse proteins. Katherine Stone a board member of Postpartum Support International, said she was “cautiously optimistic” about the research. “It’s very exciting, but at the same time, we all try to be cautious about being overexcited because there is so much that is unknown,” said Stone, who suffered from postpartum depression after the birth of her son in 2001. Research is increasing, but there is still a dearth of support groups and health care providers trained in how to recognize and treat it, she said.
August 6, 2008
Discovery Of Mechanism For Postpartum Depression In Mice May Lead To Better Treatments
Researchers have pinpointed a mechanism in the brains of mice that could explain why some human mothers become depressed following childbirth. The discovery could lead to improved treatment for postpartum depression. Supported in part by the National Institute of Mental Health, of the National Institutes of Health, the study used genetically engineered mice lacking a protein critical for adapting to the sex hormone fluctuations of pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Read More in Medical News Today