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Speak Up Washington E-Newsletter
Need Brochures or Posters?
Did you know that you can order brochures and posters from the http://www.speakup.wa.gov/ website at
no cost? To order, simply choose “Resources” from the homepage or click on the order pages directly by using the following
links:
To order brochures: www.wcpcan.wa.gov/ppd/resources_brochure.htm.
To order posters: www.wcpcan.wa.gov/ppd/resources_poster.htm.
Campaign Report Available Soon
“Speak Up When You’re Down: A Report on the Washington State Postpartum Depression Awareness Campaign” is being finalized
and will be available on the Speak Up website sometime this month. The report details the legislation that created the campaign, and what was
accomplished with the dollars appropriated and leveraged from partners in the community, as well as the contributions by partner organizations that
were not monetary. The report will be available for download. To view the report, go to: http://www.speakup.wa.gov/.
Postpartum Support International Needs Phone Volunteers
Postpartum Support International (PSI) is looking for women who would like to volunteer on the phone line. This phone line is what is called a
‘warm line’, which means volunteers return calls that have been left on the voicemail by moms and families in need of support. In order
to qualify the volunteer must be a mom who has suffered from PPMD (postpartum mood disorder), and fully recovered. PSI asks that she is not pregnant
nor have a child younger than about 6 months old. You would go thru a brief training which can be scheduled in a one on one setting. You would need
to commit to returning calls from the ‘warm line’. This would mean you would have a shift for 1 week, about once every 4 to 6 weeks. If
you are interested, or know of someone who is please contact sindea@sindea.org.
Research and Resources Welcome
Do you know of a great article, resource or
event related to Postpartum Depression? This newsletter will come out once a month and we want to ensure we are including the newest research, the
best resources and all relevant events, so PLEASE, send on anything you think might be of use to others interested in the topic of Postpartum
Depression. Send any links, articles or the like to Kristen Rogers at kristen@wcpcan.wa.gov. Thank you!
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Fighting Domestic Violence in our
Community
September 29th, 8:30 am to 5 pm, Walla Walla,
Washington
Fighting Domestic Violence in Our Community is a
conference designed to provide an understanding of psychological trauma, and offering important assessment and treatment recommendations for all
professionals who work with parents or children affected by domestic violence. For more information and to register, click here.
Postpartum Mood Disorder Support
Group
2nd and 4th Wednesdays 11:30 am – 12:30 pm,
Puyallup, Washington
A new support group is now being offered at the Puyallup Library, 324 South Meridian
near Pioneer Park. The group will meet the second and forth Wednesday of every month. MerrieLynn Rice, a Public Health Nurse and “Speak
Up” campaign partner is running these groups. For additional information contact MerrieLynn at (253)789-3539.
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RESEARCH
Common Drugs Fight Postpartum Depression
A recent article in Forbes magazine noted that a new study has found that
two widely used antidepressants, nortriptyline and Zoloft (sertraline), are safe and effective for treating postpartum depression. According to Dr.
Katherine L. Wisner, professor of psychiatry and obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine,
"We've been treating postpartum depression based on the assumption that drugs that work for a woman
with depression under usual circumstances, will work for a women who experiences depression after giving birth, but there have not been studies that
provide scientific proof that this was an effective and safe course of treatment." This study, published in the August edition of the Journal of
Clinical Psychopharmacology, found that both drugs produced similar improvements in psychosocial functioning, and neither drug was superior to
the other in treating aggressive obsessional thoughts. To read the Forbes article, go to: click
here. For information on how to purchase the full research article, click here.
WA State Study: Baby's Death Raises Mom's Suicide Risk
By Carol Smith, P-I
Reporter
Mothers whose babies die at birth or in infancy are at higher risk for suicide
attempts, according to new research from the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center. The study, which was supported by a grant from the
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, was prompted by a Seattle P-I story in 2003 about the death of Carol Soukakos, who suffered severe
postpartum depression after the birth of her son and committed suicide in 2002. At the time, postpartum depression and maternal suicide were not well
studied or understood. To read the full article in the Seattle PI, go to: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/284900_postpartum13.html.
Regular Depression Screenings Recommended for New
Mothers
A new study from the University of Rochester Medical Center has researchers
recommending regular screenings for postpartum depression (PPD) for at least a year after childbirth. The study found that of all the women who
showed signs of PPD in the year after giving birth, more than a quarter did not develop high symptom levels until after three months. And a third of
the women experiencing PPD had high symptom levels throughout the entire year. “If you only screen early or if you only screen once, you will
miss some,” said Linda Chaudron, M.D., an assistant professor of psychiatry, pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology. Results of the study
appear in the July/August issue of Ambulatory Pediatrics. To read the full article, go to: www.urmc.rochester.edu/pr/news/story.cfm?id=1186.
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RESOURCES
GRANT OPPORTUNITY: The Allen Foundation
Grant applications are being accepted for efforts affecting health and nutrition. The Allen Foundation focuses on nutritional
research, education and training to improve the health of children, young adults and mothers during pregnancy and after birth. The deadline is
ongoing. For more information, go to: http://www.allenfoundation.org/.
GRANT OPPORTUNITY: Women’s Mental Health in Pregnancy and Postpartum Period
The National Institutes of Health invites research project grant applications on the topic of women’s mental health in
relation to pregnancy and the postpartum period. The NH encourages research on perinatal mood and other mental disorders in four areas: clinical
course, epidemiology and risk factors; basic and clinical neuroscience; interventions; and services. Research is encouraged both on perinatal
non-psychotic mood disorders and psychotic disorders. Studies exploring the effects of current or lifetime drug abuse, including treatment status and
comorbid conditions, on onset and course of mental disorders during the perinatal period are also encouraged. Faith-based and community organizations
are eligible to apply. There are multiple due dates. Size and duration of each grant will vary. For more information contact: Joy R. Knipple at (301)
443-8811 or e-mail, at: jk173@nih.gov. To read the full announcement, go to: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-06-376.html.
Depression in Pregnancy
The Women’s and Children’s Health Policy Center at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
has released “Considering Interventions for Depression in Reproductive Age Women in Family Planning Programs.” This policy brief
explores family planning programs as a possible site for incorporating interventions around depression, including screening and treatment, in
reproductive age women. The brief looks at the opportunities to reach women who otherwise may have little contact with the health care system, as
well as the challenges of locating these services within family planning programs, and offers a list of potential interventions and recommendations
for further action for family planning programs, state and local public health agencies, and mental health providers. The brief is available at: www.jhsph.edu/wchpc.
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