Barriers to getting help for postpartum depression

Kimberly Wong, Postpartum Depression Activist, explains the various barriers that often prevent women from seeking help for postpartum depression and how women can overcome those barriers
Barriers To Getting Help For Postpartum Depression - KidsInTheHouse.com
KidsInTheHouse the Ultimate Parenting Resource
Kids in the House Tour

Barriers to getting help for postpartum depression

Comment
46
Like
46
Transcription: 
The greatest barrier to accessing help for women regardless of background, culture, educational level, across everything is stigma. The stigma of anything related to mental health prevents a lot of women from seeking the help that they deserve. And what that means is that we as a community need to support women and their families who are being impacted and affected by this very treatable disorder, and not allow women to suffer in silence, and not allow them to expect that this will somehow magically go away on its own. We as a community need to wrap our arms around both the mother, the father, and the baby and help them through this by giving them the permission to seek the help that they deserve.

Kimberly Wong, Postpartum Depression Activist, explains the various barriers that often prevent women from seeking help for postpartum depression and how women can overcome those barriers

Transcript

Expert Bio

More from Expert

Kimberly Wong

Postpartum Depression Activist

Kimberly Wong, Founder and Co-Chair of the Los Angeles County Perinatal Mental Health Task Force, has been an attorney with the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office for 17 years and serves as Special Counsel/Legislative Analyst to the Public Defender. Kimberly co-chairs the Legislative Issues Committee of the Los Angeles County Domestic Violence Council and is a member of the Council’s Executive Committee. As a result of suffering life-threatening postpartum depression in 2003, after her recovery, Kimberly focused on volunteer activity to promote awareness and to increase knowledge about maternal depression. She volunteered as a phone support volunteer through Postpartum Support International and then served on the Board of PSI for three years. 

In February 2007, Ms. Wong formed and currently co-chairs the Los Angeles County Perinatal Mental Health Task Force, a network of over 30 individuals representing more than 15 public and private agencies involved in outreach, screening, and treatment services for perinatal depression and related mood disorders, along with community leaders, research partners, and advocates for mothers, infants, and families. The mission of the Task Force is to create an infrastructure in Los Angeles County to address perinatal mood disorders through education, universal screening and linkage to informed services, with particular focus on high risk women and girls, including those who are court involved, substance abusers and domestic violence victims. The Task Force is a project of Community Partners, its 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor. 

More Parenting Videos from Kimberly Wong >
Enter your email to
download & subscribe
to our newsletter