Trigger Warning – this podcast includes talk of suicidal thoughts, so please take that into account before listening and reading. 

This week, The Wall Street Journal published a moving episode on the current state of Material Mental Health in the US – and Canada is not far off. In this episode, we hear from two new mothers with mental healthcare challenges. They aren’t alone – we know that in Canada, almost one-quarter (23%) of mothers who recently gave birth reported feelings consistent with either post-partum depression or an anxiety disorder.

Although these two patients were well supported by their partners and their community hospitals, the wait time for specialized talk therapy was quoted to be 9-12 months. This is completely unacceptable for those putting their hand up for care and starting medication. We know the best treatment for moderate/severe mental health issues is a combination of medication and talk therapy. Those who are mild/moderately struggling benefit from talk therapy alone. We need to do better for those new and expecting moms struggling – because better is possible.

Reporter Anna Muthoh has been covering the mental health issues experienced by pregnant women and new moms for over a year. The New York Times also covered the FDA’s recent approval of a new drug to fight postpartum depression specifically – a topic we discussed a few weeks ago here.