Maternal Mental Health in the Media: Books, Movies, and Podcasts
We are so encouraged to see awareness about maternal mental health growing every year. As we celebrate Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month, we curated this article to share information about great books, films, and podcasts that uplift this important issue.
Books
There are so many great books about maternal mental health, with new ones being published every year. Below are just a few that MMHLA’s Executive Director, Adrienne Griffen, MPP, recommends.
Persevered: A Maternal Mental Health Memoir
Persevered: A Maternal Mental Health Memoir is an unvarnished personal account of surviving the darkest moments of new motherhood while juggling high expectations at home and at work. Dr. Kara Zivin — now a leading researcher of the costs of untreated maternal mental health conditions — offers a rare, unfiltered look at what happened when she faced her own grave battle with depression and anxiety during and after pregnancy.
Dr. Zivin writes about her maternal mental health crisis and the impact on her and her entire family, including her husband, son, step-son, parents, and in-laws. We are grateful to Dr. Zivin for honestly sharing how serious maternal mental health conditions can be and for providing hope of recovery.
Women Are Dying, Deb: Inside America's Maternal Mental Health Crisis
Women Are Dying, Deb: Inside America's Maternal Mental Health Crisis is both a memoir and an exposé of the weaknesses in the U.S. healthcare system that allow maternal mental health disorders to remain the leading cause of death among new mothers despite the existence of effective treatments. Most importantly, it is a call to action to invest in maternal mental health for the health and well-being of mothers and the next generation.
Author Emily Johnson holds degrees in economics and healthcare administration, and is married to a physician. As she says, she has been "...living, breathing, and talking about healthcare for most of my adult life." Even with all this knowledge, she struggled to find help when she suffered extreme postpartum anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Fortunately, she was able to recover with the help of a perinatal partial hospitalization program.
Textbook of Women’s Reproductive Mental Health
The Textbook of Women's Reproductive Mental Health is the first comprehensive text for understanding, diagnosing, and supporting the unique mental health needs of women and others who undergo female reproductive transitions during their entire reproductive life cycle.
Based on the award-winning National Curriculum in Reproductive Psychiatry, this groundbreaking book collects the latest thinking, research, and real-world practice from the brightest minds in psychiatry, obstetrics, gynecology, and other women's health specialties to provide the most complete compendium on women's reproductive mental health and the mental illnesses that arise at times of reproductive transition. This is a MUST-HAVE for clinicians working with women during the reproductive years.
Books by Karen Kleiman, MSW, LCSW
Karen Kleiman, MSW, LCSW, is the Founder and Executive Director of The Postpartum Stress Center outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is also an outstanding author and has written books about perinatal mental health disorders for parents and providers.
Books for parents include:
This Isn’t What I Expected: Overcoming Postpartum Depression
What Am I Thinking? Having a Baby After Postpartum Depression
The Postpartum Partner: Practical Solutions for Living With Postpartum Depression
Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts: A Healing Guide to the Secret Fears of New Mothers
Books for clinicians include:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Perinatal Distress
The Art of Holding in Therapy: An Essential Intervention for Postpartum Depression and Anxiety
Therapy and the Postpartum Woman: Notes on Healing Postpartum Depression for Clinicians and the Women Who Seek Their Help
See a complete list of Karen’s books HERE.
More Books About Maternal Mental Health
Check out Recommended Reads from Postpartum Support International for additional books about maternal mental health.
Movies & Documentaries
We are thrilled to see so many movies and documentaries about maternal mental health, helping to bring this issue to the mainstream. Below are a few that we have seen recently that are worth watching.
More Than Blue
More Than Blue is a must-see for anyone who interacts with pregnant and postpartum people. This powerful documentary sheds light on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders by centering stories of real families navigating these challenges. Through expert insights and personal experiences, the film aims to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and highlight the importance of comprehensive mental health care during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Lee Cohen, MD from the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Women’s Mental Health, is an executive producer on the film, which also features several leading voices in the field, including Birdie Meyer of Postpartum Support International and respected reproductive psychiatrists Drs. Crystal Clark, Helen Kim, and Samantha Meltzer-Brody.
Baby Doe
Baby Doe is an award-winning documentary that explores urgent questions at the intersection of pregnancy, mental health, and the criminal justice system. The film focuses on Gail Ritchey, who, 30 years ago, gave birth alone and left her newborn in the woods; her life is upended when DNA evidence links her to the cold case, leading to her arrest for murder. Baby Doe challenges how we understand these experiences both clinically and legally, fostering conversations around perinatal health and the criminalization of mental health crises.
Before a Breath
Before a Breath follows three mothers who have lost children to stillbirth and are striving to make pregnancy safer. After the stillbirth of her daughter, Debbie Haine Vijayvergiya goes to Washington to fight for the passage of the SHINE for Autumn Act. Kanika Harris, PhD, MPH, a maternal health advocate, takes matters into her own hands by telling the story of Kodjo and Zindzi — the twins she lost — as she trains a new generation of Black birthworkers. Stephanie Lee seeks answers about her daughter Elodie’s stillbirth as she prepares to give birth again.
Listen to Me
Listen to Mefollows the real-life experiences of three Black women as they navigate the journey to motherhood in a system not built to protect them. This documentary explores the realities of birth, care, and community through the lived experiences of Black women and birthing people, who are disproportionately affected by maternal health complications and mortality.
PUSH
PUSHis a provocative short film and a core component of the new nationwide public awareness initiative: Stillness Is An Illness. It explores the critical impact of addressing — or dismissing — altered fetal movement in the third trimester. PUSH encourages families and healthcare providers to rethink their response to altered fetal movement and, most importantly, to recognize and address concerns about fetal movement with urgency and action.
Podcasts
Podcasts are a great way to dive into a topic quickly, and it is exciting to see maternal mental health getting more airtime in this medium. Below are a few podcasts we recommend as well as a couple that feature MMHLA’s Executive Director, Adrienne Griffen, MPP, as a guest interviewee.
So Glad You Asked
So Glad You Askedis a podcast hosted by Dr. Ruta Nonacs from the MGH Center for Women’s Mental Health. The second season features expert guests like reproductive psychiatrist Dr. Pooja Lakshmin and economist Emily Oster, and will dive deep into topics such as infertility, miscarriage, postpartum psychosis, and the mental health of non-birthing partners.
The State of Mental Wellbeing: A Podcast on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder
The State of Mental Wellbeing: A Podcast on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorderis a weekly podcast produced by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. Each episode explores the people, policies, and systems influencing mental health and substance use care across the United States. Hosted by Mohini Venkatesh, chief of staff at the National Council, the podcast brings together leaders, practitioners, and advocates working every day to strengthen mental well-being in their communities and advance the field.
I am One
In the I am One podcast, Postpartum Support International (PSI) staff and volunteers reflect on their own lived experience during the perinatal period (pregnancy and postpartum). Podcast hosts explain how they sought and received help, and how they are supporting the mental health of new families now.
MMHLA Feature – Human Resilience: Changing the Way Healthcare is Delivered
MMHLA’s Executive Director Adrienne Griffen, MPP, was featured on the Human Resilience: Changing the Way Healthcare is Delivered podcast. Her episode is titled: “Designing a Maternal Mental Health System That Works." This podcast is produced by GoMo Health, which is a company that uses science-based engagement programs to address the whole person, including physical, psychological, social, and emotional needs.
MMHLA Feature – Practical for Your Practice
MMHLA’s Executive Director Adrienne Griffen, MPP, was featured on the Practical for Your Practice podcast. Her episode is titled “Don’t Tap Dance Around Maternal Mental Health.” This podcast is produced by the Center for Deployment Psychology, which trains behavioral health professionals in military culture and deployment-related behavioral health to help them better serve our nation’s service members, Veterans, and their families.
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