The Feng Lab strongly believes that more education, outreach, and resources on postpartum depression are necessary for both pregnant women and their providers.
One in seven pregnant women develop postpartum depression (PPD), which is more severe and long-lasting than the baby blues. This condition can significantly impact a woman’s ability to return to her normal routine and can negatively affect her personal health and relationship with her baby.
We want mothers to know that their health, not just their baby’s, is important.
Why are we doing further outreach and resources for postpartum depression?
- It is a trending cause of maternal death in the United States, and most common medical complication of childbearing.
- Postpartum depression is highly prevalent, yet only 50% of women seek medical treatment. Much of this can be attributed to various cultures and stigmas surrounding maternal mental health awareness.
- There is screening but no prevention or treatment normally provided to pregnant women.
- PPD is very easily confused with the baby blues.
- Providers, such as in OB/Gyn and Pediatrics, should be more educated in identifying and caring for pregnant women who might have PPD
What we know is already helping:
- Social support helps prevent PPD. The only prevention or treatment for PPD that is covered by Medicaid are doulas. Although doulas help, they are not specifically certified or trained to care for mothers and their babies in the context of PPD.
- Currently, women are only screened for PPD 1 week after delivery to see if they’re safe to be with their baby. After 1 week, there is only a 4-6 week follow-up. Research has shown that 2-week postpartum check-ups decrease PPD rates.
Are you concerned that you or a loved one has postpartum depression?
For the external website questionnaire, you can skip the optional questions about your personal life and review your results online without needing to provide your email address or phone number.
The postpartum depression questionnaire in 18+ languages is validated in 18 languages, adjusting the questions for cultural contexts and language. Because of this, there may be different cutoffs, depending on what language it is taken in.
Questionnaire validated in the following languages: English, اَلْعَرَبِيَّةُ (Arabic), 中文 (Mandarin Chinese), Nederlands (Dutch), français (French), Deutsch (German), Ásụ̀sụ̀ Ìgbò (Igbo), Italiano (Italian), 日本語 (Japanese), بهاس ملايو (Malay), Malti (Maltese), Norsk (Norwegian), Português (Portuguese), ਪੰਜਾਬੀ (Punjabi), South African – English, Español (Spanish), Svenska (Swedish), Türkçe (Turkish), Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
The questionnaire is developed from the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) which asks questions about how the mother has felt for the past week. We recommend to repeat the scale every 2 weeks. Mothers scoring above 12 or 13 on the EPDS (English) are likely to be suffering from depression and should seek medical attention. A careful clinical evaluation by a health care professional is needed to confirm a diagnosis and establish a treatment plan.
Resources for Postpartum Depression
At the Feng Lab, we want to raise awareness for postpartum depression, an often neglected but serious issue. To support all communities, we have also provided resources in multiple languages, ensuring that everyone has access to the help and information needed to manage their mental health. Additionally, in an effort to be accessible, resources linked provide services that are either free or low-cost.
Postpartum Support International – North Carolina Chapter
Postpartum Support International (PSI) is the world’s leading non-profit organization dedicated to helping those suffering from perinatal mood disorders, the most common complication of childbirth. You can join PSI or donate to the NC chapter!
Postpartum Resource Center of the Triad
The mission of Postpartum Resource Center of the Triad is to support the mental health well-being of expecting and new parents by making local resources readily accessible, increasing community awareness of perinatal mental health conditions, and destigmatizing mental health during pregnancy and postpartum periods.
Additionally, they provide education resources for maternal mental health for providers.
Postpartum Support International: Resources in Different Languages
Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders Resources in 20+ Languages.
UNICEF: ¿Qué es la depresión posparto?
Esta página tiene respuestas a las siguientes preguntas.
- ¿En qué consiste la melancolía posterior al parto?
- ¿Qué es la depresión posparto?
- Síntomas de la depresión posparto
- Formas de protegerse de la depresión posparto
- Formas de afrontarla
- Cuándo pedir ayuda
