Maternal mental health awareness grows amid systemic neglect

Maternal mental health is gaining mainstream attention as experts call for a reckoning with a healthcare system that has historically neglected mothers. While postpartum psychosis affects approximately 2 in 1,000 women, broader mental health issues such as depression and anxiety impact as many as 1 in 5 women in the United States during pregnancy and the subsequent year after childbirth.

Public awareness has been driven by high-profile cases, including the trial of Lindsay Clancy, who cited postpartum psychosis during a legal proceeding involving her children, and the advocacy of the late actress Hayden Panettiere regarding her struggles with postpartum depression. Experts suggest that a persistent culture of shame has often prevented these serious conditions from being discussed, detected, or treated effectively.