Roughly one in five mothers experience mood and anxiety disorders in the time around childbirth, according to a Steinhardt study last month that expanded on perinatal mental health research and delved into a systemic lack of postpartum screenings and care.

Researchers surveyed more than 900 mothers and interviewed 17 in an effort to better understand how new parents experience mental health challenges. Erin O’Connor — lead author, professor at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, and director of the school’s Early Childhood Education Program — told WSN that only around a quarter of mothers felt they could be honest with their medical practitioners or significant others about their struggles, leaving many to navigate serious mental health challenges alone.

“A lot of women don’t feel they can be honest with their partner — they don’t want to appear as an unfit parent,” O’Connor said in an interview with WSN. “Several women mentioned over and over again, ‘I was just afraid that somebody was going to come and take my baby.’” 

The study found that 40% of birthing caregivers are never screened for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and around 98% of non-birthing caregivers, such as fathers or same-sex partners, are also never screened despite reporting symptoms. Mental health concerns mounted for caregivers of infants under intensive care, who were 73.5% more likely to experience a PMAD. 

O’Connor emphasized the importance of mental health education and resources for both birthing and non-birthing parents, as well as for medical professionals. She said that the researchers’ interviews revealed that many non-birthing partners reported experiencing severe anxiety but felt they shouldn’t acknowledge these struggles. 

“It’s something many women want to talk about because they’ve been alone in the process for so long,” O’Connor said. “One of our case studies talked about just wanting to be heard — that was the sentiment we got from a lot of the women that we interviewed.”

Surveys also indicated that new parents who quit their jobs would have been less inclined to do so had they been given longer paid leave. Under the study’s recommendations, researchers floated the possibility of more flexible parental leave options, better financial assistance for early childcare costs and expanded Telehealth services, among other suggestions. 

O’Connor said the lack of extensive research on women’s health issues stems from low funding. A widespread focus on the medical process of childbirth — to make it as safe and comfortable as possible — has unintentionally shifted attention away from the postpartum period and its mental health implications.

“So much needs to be done to support women,” O’Connor said. “Feeling like you can’t be honest when things get hard can be a real time of loneliness, but people are still afraid to acknowledge that they’re feeling badly.”

Contact Selin Kemiktarak at [email protected].