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Maternal Depression: Why Aren't More Moms Discussing This Issue?

Maternal Depression: Why Aren't More Moms Discussing This Issue?
Celebrities like Drew Barrymore and Hayden Panettiere have opened up publicly about their personal struggle with postpartum depression. Postpartum depression affects up to 16 percent of mothers and can occur months or even up to a year after giving birth.

Unfortunately, another type of depression expectant or recent moms might face is maternal depression. This type of depression is commonly misdiagnosed, or not diagnosed at all.

Who is at risk?

Even though all women are at risk, women who have previously had postpartum depression, a family history of depression, or a depressive episode, are at a higher risk.

What causes maternal depression?

Listen in as Samantha Meltzer-Brody, MD, MPH, shares symptoms of postpartum and maternal depression, who's at risk, and the treatment options available.
Featured Speaker:
Samantha Meltzer-Brody, MD
Samantha Meltzer Brody Dr. Samantha Meltzer-Brody, MD, MPH, is a clinician and researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she is an Associate Professor and Associate Chair of Faculty Development in the Department of Psychiatry.

She is the Director of the UNC Perinatal Psychiatry Program of the UNC Center for Women's Mood Disorders, a comprehensive clinical and research program that includes the first Perinatal Inpatient Psychiatry Unit in the U.S.


Dr. Meltzer-Brody is the recipient of multiple NIH-funded grants that investigate epidemiologic and genetic predictors of postpartum mood disorders. She also directs the UNC Taking Care of Our Own Program, an innovative program to address the issue of physician burnout syndrome.

Dr. Meltzer-Brody maintains an active clinical practice, has published over 70 manuscripts, currently participates in clinical trials research in women's mood disorders, and serves as the mental health consultant for the North Carolina Women's Health Report Card.

She is a frequent contributor to the media including the New York Times, NPR, Huffington Post, and Time Magazine. In 2012, the Triangle Medical Journal selected Dr. Meltzer-Brody as one of the "Top-10 Woman in Medicine" and she was also selected as an inaugural Sanders Clinician Scholar at UNC to develop a novel program to address physician burn-out syndrome.

Additionally, in March of this year, she was selected as a HealthCare Hero by the Triangle Business Journal for her work with physician burnout and maternal depression and was awarded the UNC School of Public Health Arnold D. Kaluzny Distinguished Alumni Award.
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