About one in five women face mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety during pregnancy and in the first year after birth. These illnesses can affect everyday activities, family relationships and the care a parent gives a new child. The perinatal period—pregnancy plus the first year of parenthood—is a key time for support.
Kara Zivin is a professor of psychiatry and obstetrics and gynecology and a policy researcher at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research. She studies health policy and maternal outcomes and has written about her own depression during pregnancy. She said she worried how a preexisting depression diagnosis and antidepressant use could affect her baby and that she did not expect how ill she would become.
In a question-and-answer session Zivin discussed common issues, including childbirth complications, the pressure of modern motherhood, and how stress and high expectations can affect mental health. She stressed the importance of a support network of family, friends or health professionals and called for clearer information and better support from clinicians and policy makers.
Difficult words
- perinatal — the time during pregnancy and after birth
- depression — a mental illness causing long sadness and low mood
- antidepressant — a medicine used to treat depression symptoms
- complication — a medical problem that makes a situation worsecomplications
- support network — people who give emotional and practical help
- clinician — a health professional who treats patientsclinicians
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you think family and friends can give enough support during the perinatal period? Why or why not?
- What kinds of clearer information would help parents during pregnancy and the first year after birth?
- How could doctors and clinics improve support for new parents with mental health issues?
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