Depressed Moms Want Pediatricians to Hear Them
CLEVELAND -- A new study by
researchers at University Hospitals of Cleveland's Rainbow Babies &
Children's Hospital and Case Western Reserve University offers a
possible solution to address postpartum depression. Published in the
March issue of Pediatrics, the study results indicated that, regardless
of whether new mothers have relatively mild cases of the blues or
incapacitating episodes of major depression, pediatricians can and
should play a key role in keeping these women from slipping through the
cracks.
"Despite the fact that mothers want to turn to their pediatricians to
talk about stress and depression, they fear being judged," says study
co-author Amy Heneghan, MD, a
Rainbow pediatrician and assistant professor of pediatrics at Case.
"Our research shows how very important it is for the pediatrician and
the mother to develop a trusting relationship so that she will have an
opportunity to talk about things that cause family stress."
Postpartum depression occurs in up to 15 percent of all new moms.
Symptoms can appear within days of the delivery and can persist for up
to a year.
Researchers conducted focus groups with mothers of young children to
learn how they felt about the stresses of parenting, their own mental
health concerns, and how pediatricians might help them address those
concerns. For many mothers of young children, the pediatrician is the
only health professional they see with any regularity.
In the focus groups, women said they were open to talking with
pediatricians about their problems - but said that a trusting
relationship needs to be established first. Some women said they were
reluctant to admit that they felt depressed, fearing that they would be
judged as unfit mothers. The researchers used these and other findings
to develop a guide to help mothers address their mental health needs.
"Pediatricians can be part of the solution for getting depressed moms the
treatment they need," Dr. Heneghan says. "The women in our study
suggested some very simple things that pediatricians can do to help
moms who are struggling."
The women in the study were all aware that their emotional well-being
affected their children. Other themes that emerged from the study were:
1) Mothers believed in the importance of accepting responsibility for monitoring their own well being and that of their child.
2) Mothers expressed the need to share parenting experiences,
stressors, and depressive symptoms with someone (most preferred to
speak with family or friends rather than with their child's
pediatrician).
3) Open communication with a pediatrician who listens well was perceived by mothers in all groups as very important.
4) They trust pediatricians with their child's health, but many mothers
were hesitant to discuss their own stress or depressive symptoms.
5) Mothers from all socioeconomic groups expressed fear of judgment and
possible referral to child protection if they talked about depression
and stress.
6) If they felt their pediatrician "knew them well, mothers were more likely to discuss their own emotional health.
Researchers found the mothers to be generally receptive to the idea of
open communication with their pediatricians and expressed interest in
receiving supportive written communication about parenting stress and
depressive symptoms from pediatricians.
"These qualitative data are valuable in developing an intervention to
help pediatricians assist mothers at risk," Dr. Heneghan says.
"Pediatricians need to learn how to feel confident about having a
discussion with a mother in language that is comforting, to be aware of
worrisome signs and symptoms of depression in mothers, and of the
consequences of untreated maternal depression."
The study was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the
Children's Research Foundation of Rainbow Babies and Children Hospital.
Established in 1972, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, based in
Princeton, N.J. is the largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to
health and health care in the United States.
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Posted on Thursday, March 04, 2004 (Archive on Thursday, March 11, 2004) |
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