First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden Open Service Nation Veterans Day Event: Postpartum Depression Initiatives Among National Partners

By Susan Dowd Stone Expert HERWriter

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This morning at George Washington University in Washington DC, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden will contribute opening remarks to the official introduction of Service Nation volunteer partnerships. Service Nation is an organization devoted to increasing volunteer efforts among civilians, non profits and other entities in communities across the United States. Here’s the link to the media alert about today’s event.

Amidst other ceremonies designed to honor our nation's hero veterans, the launch of today’s program is meant to stimulate additional participation from individuals and organizations from all sectors to volunteer within their communities. Among the organizations included in today’s presentation are two which devote specific attention to postpartum mood disorders; Postpartum Support International, - the worlds largest organization devoted to the eradication of perinatal mood disorders, and "Give an Hour, a non profit established by Dr. Barbara Van Dalen to encourage mental health practitioners to donate a weekly hour of professional services to military families. Both are volunteer organizations.

While taking the stage behind the First and Second Lady of our country today as PSI’s representative - along with Dr. Van Dalen from Give an Hour - is an exciting honor, the Obama Administration’s emphasis on mental health as part of overall health care is a welcome endorsement of holistic perspective on human wellness and greatly encouraging to continuing PPD advocacy efforts.

According to the World Health Organization, depression could be the number two health issue in the world by 2020. If one understands the effects of poverty on families around the world, along with other psychosocial challenges of the new millennium, it is not hard to understand why mental health needs to be a focus of aggressive, preventive action. And it is not hard to understand the potential negative consequences to mothers, infants and families if this potential mental health crisis is not averted through vigorous response.

In the United States, recent studies indicate that military mothers may experience a disproportionate increase in postpartum depression. Some of these risks could be associated with the stress of deployment of either the partner or birth mother during the baby’s infancy; transient lifestyle and marital issues; inconsistent healthcare/follow up; lack of awareness of pregnancy related mood disorders, mental health issues associated with active duty and the potential of isolation from friends and family.

In the coming months more formal programs/partnerships between PSI and Give an Hour will continue to evolve around how best to serve the needs of these and other vulnerable populations through awareness, education and resource provision. Today's event should greatly encourage American women, infants and families of the continuing focus on maternal child wellness which is prominently featured in this administration backed initiative.

For more information about Service Nation and the other partners who participated in today’s event, visit the Service Nation website.

If you have not yet signed the petition in support of The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act, you may do so by visiting www.perinatalpro.com

Happy Veterans Day to every hero who has placed his or life on the line for the liberty and freedoms we continue to enjoy in this blessed nation.

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